JP2003332186A - Substrate drying method and device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate drying method and a device, which are capable of decreasing foreign objects attached to a substrate when the substrate is pulled out of pure water and improving the efficiency of drying the substrate so as to dry it up uniformly. <P>SOLUTION: Air or inert gas and gaseous isopropyl alcohol or droplets of isopropyl alcohol are supplied to a space above the level of the pure water in the drying chamber, the pure water near to its level is discharged from the chamber as the level of the pure water is raised up together with the substrate, the substrate is pulled out of the level of the pure water, the pure water attached to the surface of the substrate pulled out of the pure water is substituted with the gaseous isopropyl alcohol or the droplets of isopropyl alcohol, and the isopropyl alcohol is evaporated from the surface of the substrate so as to dry out the substrate. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate drying method and apparatus for removing a substrate immersed in pure water from the pure water and drying the surface of the substrate.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a drying device disclosed in Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 6-103686 (see Patent Document 1), nitrogen gas is used as a carrier, IPA (isopropyl alcohol) is used as a vapor, and it is treated with an etching treatment liquid. After that, the wafer is washed with pure water, and the wafer is supplied into the upper space in the processing tank for the wafer. Then, the pure water in the processing bath is drained from the bottom of the processing bath to expose the wafer in the processing bath, and the IPA vapor supplied to the upper space of the processing bath is replaced with water droplets attached to the exposed surface of the wafer. The wafer surface is dried.

Further, by draining the pure water of the processing bath from the bottom of the processing bath, instead of exposing the wafer in the processing bath, the wafer is pulled up from the inside of the processing bath.
There is also a drying device in which the wafer is exposed in the processing bath and the IPA vapor supplied to the upper space of the processing bath is replaced with water droplets adhering to the exposed surface of the wafer for drying.

[0004]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-103686

[0005]

However, in the case of the above structure, the foreign matters generated during the cleaning of the wafer with pure water are suspended in the vicinity of the pure water surface of the processing tank.
The wafer is exposed in the processing tank by draining the pure water in the processing tank from the bottom of the processing tank. Since the pure water is drained last near the liquid surface, there is a problem that the floating foreign matter adheres to the surface of the wafer when the wafer is exposed from the liquid surface.

Further, in the structure described above, since the wafer is exposed by draining pure water from the bottom of the processing bath, the pure water on the liquid surface of the processing bath is not drained to the end, and the above-mentioned liquid is not drained. The amount of dissolved IPA on the surface increases with the passage of time, the concentration of IPA in pure water on the liquid surface and the thickness of the layer in which IPA has dissolved increase, and the replacement efficiency decreases, and thus the drying efficiency increases. And the unevenness of drying occurs on the wafer surface.

Further, even when the wafer is exposed by pulling up from the pure water level in the processing tank,
Similarly, there is a problem that foreign matter adheres to the surface of the wafer, and further, there is a problem that unevenness in drying occurs on the wafer surface due to fluctuations in the pure water level when the wafer is pulled up.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above problems, and when the substrate is exposed from pure water, it is possible to reduce the amount of foreign matter attached to the surface of the substrate, and It is possible to prevent an increase in the concentration of IPA dissolved in pure water on the liquid surface and an increase in the thickness of the pure water layer in which IPA is dissolved, and further improve the drying efficiency of the substrate to eliminate drying unevenness. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and a device for drying a substrate.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate drying method of exposing a substrate immersed in pure water in a drying chamber from the pure water and drying the substrate, wherein the liquid level of the pure water in the drying chamber is Air or an inert gas, and gaseous or droplet-shaped isopropyl alcohol are supplied into the upper space, and the pure water in which the substrate is immersed is raised together with the substrate while the liquid surface of the pure water is raised. Alternatively, the liquid surface side pure water is discharged from the vicinity of the liquid surface, the substrate is exposed above the liquid surface from the pure water in the drying chamber, and at the same time, the substrate adhered to the exposed surface of the substrate is removed. A substrate in which pure water is replaced by the gaseous or droplet-shaped isopropyl alcohol, and then the isopropyl alcohol is evaporated from the surface of the substrate to dry the substrate. To provide a 燥方 method.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the method of drying a substrate according to the first aspect, wherein the liquid surface side deionized water is discharged while the position of the liquid surface with respect to the space is fixed. provide.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the deionized water is lowered to raise the deionized water in which the substrate is immersed together with the substrate, relative to the deionized chamber, while the deionized water is added. The substrate drying method according to the first aspect, wherein the liquid surface side pure water is drained from the liquid surface or the vicinity of the liquid surface.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the substrates immersed in the pure water have a plurality of surfaces arranged substantially parallel to each other and substantially orthogonal to the liquid surface of the pure water. The substrate drying according to any one of the first to third aspects, in which the liquid surface side pure water is drained by a flow along the liquid surface and along the surface of each substrate. Provide a way.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the pure water on the liquid surface side is drained from the liquid surface of the pure water or the vicinity of the liquid surface, the pure water is discharged from the vicinity of the bottom surface of the drying chamber. A substrate drying method according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of draining the liquid is provided.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when the pure water on the liquid surface side is drained from the liquid surface of the pure water or the vicinity of the liquid surface, the pure water is discharged from the vicinity of the bottom surface of the drying chamber. A substrate drying method according to any one of the first to fifth aspects of supplying is provided.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided the substrate drying method according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the inert gas is nitrogen gas.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the substrate drying method according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the substrate is a wafer or a liquid crystal glass substrate.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, air or an inert gas and a gas are provided in a drying chamber in which the substrate can be immersed in pure water, and in a space above the liquid surface of the pure water in the drying chamber. Isopropyl alcohol supply device for supplying isopropyl alcohol in the form of droplets or droplets, and a movable floor that is vertically movable in the drying chamber are raised to raise the pure water in which the substrate is immersed together with the substrate. However, a drainage device for draining pure water on the liquid surface side or near the liquid surface of the pure water is provided, and the movable bed is raised by the drainage device to raise the pure water together with the substrate. The liquid surface side pure water is drained while raising the temperature, and the substrate is exposed above the liquid surface from the pure water in the drying chamber, and at the same time, adhered to the exposed surface of the substrate. The pure water is Jo or substituted by the droplet shape of the isopropyl alcohol, then, to provide a substrate drying apparatus capable drying the substrate by the isopropyl alcohol from the surface of the substrate is evaporated.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the drainage of the liquid surface side pure water by the liquid draining device is performed in a state where the position of the liquid surface with respect to the space is fixed. To provide a substrate drying device.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, the movable floor is a bottom surface of the drying chamber, the drainage device is a bottom elevating device for elevating the bottom surface, and a substrate supporting the substrate. A supporting mechanism is further provided, and the bottom surface lifting device raises the bottom surface of the drying chamber to raise the pure water together with the substrate supported by the substrate supporting mechanism, while the liquid is provided in the upper portion of the drying chamber. A substrate drying apparatus according to the ninth aspect or the tenth aspect, in which the surface-side pure water is drained by overflowing.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, the movable bed divides the pure water into an upper pure water tank on the liquid surface side and a lower pure water tank on the bottom surface side of the drying chamber in the drying chamber. The drainage device is a movable floor lifting device that lifts and lowers the movable floor, and further includes a substrate support mechanism that is provided on the movable floor and that supports the substrate immersed in the pure water in the upper pure water tank, The movable floor elevating device raises the movable floor of the drying chamber to raise the division position between the upper pure water tank and the lower pure water tank, and the upper net together with the substrate supported by the substrate supporting mechanism. The substrate drying apparatus according to the ninth aspect or the tenth aspect, wherein the pure water in the water tank is raised and the pure water in the liquid surface is overflowed in the upper part of the drying chamber to drain the pure water. To provide.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, a pure water supply mechanism for supplying pure water to the lower pure water tank of the drying chamber is further provided, and the movable floor of the drying chamber is raised by the movable floor lifting device. According to the twelfth aspect, the division position between the upper pure water tank and the lower pure water tank is raised, and pure water is supplied to the lower pure water tank by the pure water supply mechanism in accordance with the rise of the divided position. A substrate drying apparatus is provided.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, air or an inert gas, and a gas are provided in a drying chamber in which the substrate can be immersed in pure water, and in a space above the liquid surface of the pure water in the drying chamber. -Like or droplet-shaped isopropyl alcohol supply device and a liquid moving plate provided in the drying chamber so as to be able to move up and down relatively to the drying chamber by lowering the drying chamber. The pure water in which the substrate is immersed together with the substrate relative to the drying chamber, while the pure water on the liquid surface side or near the liquid surface is cleaned. A drainage device for draining the liquid, the drying device lowers the drying chamber, and the substrate and the pure water together with the liquid moving plate are raised relative to the drying chamber,
The liquid surface side pure water is drained, and the substrate is exposed above the liquid surface from the pure water in the drying chamber, and at the same time, the pure water attached to the exposed surface of the substrate is Provided is a substrate drying apparatus which is capable of being dried with the isopropyl alcohol in the form of gas or droplets and then evaporating the isopropyl alcohol from the surface of the substrate.

According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the substrate drying apparatus according to any one of the ninth to fourteenth aspects, wherein the inert gas is nitrogen gas.

According to the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, the substrates immersed in the pure water are arranged so that their surfaces are substantially parallel to each other and substantially orthogonal to the liquid surface of the pure water. The substrate drying according to any one of the ninth to fifteenth aspects, wherein the liquid surface side pure water is drained by a flow along the liquid surface and along the surface of each substrate. Provide a device.

[0026]

Before continuing with the description of the invention, the same parts are provided with the same reference symbols in the accompanying drawings. In describing the embodiments of the present invention, the definitions of terms used in this specification will be described.

In the present specification and claims, the term "droplet" refers to particles of a liquid phase having a particle size of 10 μm or more, and the term "mist". Means that among the particles in the liquid phase, the particle size is 1
It refers to particles of less than 0 μm. That is,
“Droplet-shaped isopropyl alcohol” means that isopropyl alcohol in the liquid phase remains in the liquid phase and
The particles have a particle diameter of μm or more. Further, the term “gas” means not a liquid phase but a gas phase in which the particle size of the particles in the liquid phase does not exist. Therefore, "gaseous isopropyl alcohol" refers to vapor phase isopropyl alcohol.

Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) A substrate drying apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention is a wafer drying apparatus 501 for drying a wafer as an example of a substrate.
1 is a vertical sectional view of FIG. 1, a sectional view taken along the line FF of FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. 2, and a sectional view taken along the line GG of FIG. 1 is shown in FIG.
Further, a flow chart showing a schematic configuration of the wafer drying device 501 is shown in FIG. In addition to the above wafers, the substrates used in the present invention include liquid crystal panel substrates and the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4, the wafer drying device 501 has a box-like shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped having an open upper surface and four side surfaces and a bottom surface. Further, a pure water 40 can be contained therein, and a drying chamber 201 in which a plurality of disk-shaped wafers 2 can be immersed in the pure water 40 contained therein to be washed and then dried, and a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape It is provided with a processing chamber 212 having a box shape and having a space 4 capable of being sealed therein, and a drying chamber 201 fixedly installed therein.

Further, the drying chamber 201 is an example of a movable floor which divides the pure water 40 contained therein into two pure water tanks in the vertical direction and is provided substantially parallel to the liquid surface of the pure water 40. A partition plate 250 is provided. The deionized water 40 contained in the drying chamber 201 is divided into two deionized water tanks by the partition plate 250 with an upper deionized water tank 40a on the upper side and a lower deionized water tank 40b on the lower side. Further, the partition plate 250 is provided with a gap to the extent that the entire periphery thereof does not contact the inside of the drying chamber 201 and through which the pure water can be supplied from the lower pure water tank 40b to the upper pure water tank 40a. Has been. A partition plate lifting mechanism 214, which is an example of a movable floor lifting device, allows the partition plate 250 to move up and down along the inside of the drying chamber 201. A detailed description of the structure of the partition plate lifting mechanism 214 will be given later. Further, the upper end of the drying chamber 201, that is, the upper ends of the four side surfaces are formed at the same height position.

In the drying chamber 201, the wafers 2 are arranged at regular intervals so that the surfaces of the wafers 2 are substantially parallel to each other in the vertical direction and the surfaces are substantially parallel to each other. Known wafer carrier 1 for supporting
Wafer carrier 1 that can carry in 3 and is further carried in
A carrier fixing portion 9 which is an example of a substrate supporting mechanism for releasably fixing the device 3 in the drying chamber 201 is provided. In the wafer carrier 13, for example, a plurality of fixing pins and fixing pin receiving portions capable of fitting with the fixing pins are provided in the carrier fixing portion 9, and the fixing pins and the fixing pin receiving portions are fitted to each other. As a result, the wafer carrier 13 can be fixed to the carrier fixing portion 9. The fixing mechanism may be another known fixing mechanism. In the state where the wafer carrier 13 is fixed to the carrier fixing portion 9, the fixing mechanism is provided between the wafer carrier 13 and the carrier fixing portion 9. It is good if there is no rattling.

The carrier fixing portion 9 is attached to the upper surface of the partition plate 250 of the drying chamber 201, and the drying chamber 2
In a state where pure water is injected into 01 to fill it up with water, all the wafers 2 supported by the wafer carrier 13 can be simultaneously immersed in pure water 40 (that is, in the upper pure water tank 40a). . Instead of using the wafer carrier 13 to carry a plurality of wafers 2 into the drying chamber 201, each wafer 2 is directly carried into the drying chamber 201 without using the wafer carrier 13 and the inside of the drying chamber 201 is replaced. In the above case, the substrate supporting mechanism fixed to the partition plate 250 may be used to fix the supporting position.

Further, the processing chamber 212 has a lid 211 that can be opened and closed on the upper surface thereof, and by opening the lid 211, the space 4 inside the processing chamber 212 is opened and a large number of wafers 2 are stored. It is possible to supply or take out the wafer carrier 13 and maintain the inside of the processing chamber 212. By closing the lid 211, the processing chamber 212 can be closed.
It is possible to make the space 4 in the inside a closed state. Further, in the lid 211, at the same time as injecting a nitrogen gas (N ₂ ) which is an example of an inert gas into the space 4 on the liquid surface of the pure water 40 stored in the drying chamber 201 in the processing chamber 212, Liquid phase isopropyl alcohol (hereinafter simply referred to as IPA) is sprayed to form a droplet of IPA.
Two droplet supply devices 3 which are an example of an isopropyl alcohol supply device for supplying the liquid into the space 4 and a drying nozzle 5 for injecting nitrogen gas into the space 4 are provided. A detailed description of the structure of the droplet supply device 3 will be given later. As an example of the inert gas, it is preferable to use nitrogen gas because it is easy to handle, but it is also possible to use other kinds of inert gas instead of this nitrogen gas.

Further, a pure water supply unit 210, which is an example of a tubular pure water supply mechanism for supplying pure water to the lower pure water tank 40b below the partition plate 250 inside the drying chamber 201, has a lower pure water supply unit 210. It is provided in the water tank 40b. Further, the pure water supply unit 210 includes the lower pure water tank 4 so that the pure water can be uniformly supplied to the lower pure water tank 40b inside the drying chamber 201.
The inside of 0b has a large number of pure water supply holes on its outer circumference. Further, when the partition plate 250 is in a stopped state, the pure water supplied into the lower pure water tank 40b passes through the gap between the end of the partition plate 250 and the inner surface of the drying chamber 201, and the upper pure water tank. Pure water can also be supplied to the inside of 40a.

Further, the partition plate 250 can be moved in parallel along the above four side surfaces by the partition plate elevating mechanism 214 while maintaining a state substantially parallel to the liquid surface of the pure water 40 inside the drying chamber 201. Partition plate lifting mechanism 214
Is provided on the left side of the processing chamber 212 in FIG. 1, and the processing chamber 212 and the partition plate elevating mechanism 214 are fixed on the machine base 215 of the wafer drying device 501. The partition plate elevating mechanism 214 is rotatably rotatable about the rotation axis.
Ball screw shaft portion 214a vertically fixed to 15
A drive unit 214b for selectively rotating the ball screw shaft portion 214a in either forward or reverse directions, and the ball screw shaft portion 2
The ball screw shaft portion 214a is screwed into the ball screw shaft 14a and is rotated in either the forward or reverse direction.
Can go up or down along a (that is, can go up and down)
A fixed nut portion 214c and a guide 214e that is fixed to the machine base 215 and that guides the lifting operation in the vertical direction while fixing the nut portion 214c in the forward and reverse rotation directions.
1 is formed in a gate shape by a plurality of rigid bodies, one lower end is fixed to the nut portion 214c, and the other lower end penetrates the upper surface of the processing chamber 212, and the partition plate 250 has a left upper surface end in FIG. Lifting frame 214d fixed to the section
It has and. Note that, as an example of the drive unit 214b,
A motor that is fixed to the lower end of the ball screw shaft portion 214a and directly rotates the ball screw shaft portion 214a forward or reverse, or a pulley that is fixed to the lower end of the ball screw shaft portion 214a rotates forward or backward via a belt or the like. As a result, there is a motor that indirectly rotates the ball screw shaft portion 214a forward and backward. In the partition plate lifting mechanism 214, the drive unit 214b
The ball screw shaft portion 214a is rotated in the normal and reverse directions to raise and lower the elevating frame 214d, and the partition plate 25
It is possible to move 0 up and down along the above-mentioned side surfaces of the drying chamber 201. As a result, all the wafers 2 supported by the wafer carrier 13 are immersed in the upper pure water tank 40a in the drying chamber 201 in which pure water is supplied and the upper pure water tank 40a and the lower pure water tank 40b are filled with water. The partition plate 250 located at the height position is lifted by the partition plate lifting mechanism 214 to lift the pure water 40 stored in the upper pure water tank 40a above the partition plate 250 together with the partition plate 250. Let pure water 40
It is possible to overflow the liquid surface side pure water from the upper end of the drying chamber 201. Further, the lifting range of the partition plate 250 by the partition plate lifting mechanism 214 is, for example,
From the height position where the upper ends of all the wafers 2 supported by the wafer carrier 13 are located below the upper end of the drying chamber 201 with some margin (that is, the lower end position of the lifting operation), the lower ends of all the wafers 2 are Is a range up to the height position (that is, the upper end position of the lifting operation) located above the upper end of the drying chamber 201 with some margin.

The term "liquid surface-side pure water" means pure water 4
It is a liquid in the vicinity of the liquid surface including a liquid surface of 0, for example, a liquid in a liquid layer below about 20 mm from the liquid surface. Further, it includes a case where the liquid is composed of pure water only, and a case where foreign matter such as IPA or a silicon compound is mixed (or dissolved) in the pure water.

Further, in the drying chamber 201, an overflow receiving portion 217 having a groove having a generally U-shaped (or generally U-shaped, hereinafter the same) cross-sectional shape having an opening portion facing upward.
Are installed along the outer sides of the upper portions of the four side surfaces of the drying chamber 201, and the groove having the U-shaped cross-section of the overflow receiving portion 217 is substantially O-shaped (or roughly R-shaped) in plan view over the entire outer periphery of the upper portion of the drying chamber 201. The mold, the same below) is integrally formed. The side surface of the overflow receiving portion 217 on the drying chamber 201 side of the groove is formed by the outer side surface of the upper portion of the drying chamber 201, and the height position of the upper end of the other side surface is higher than that of the upper end of the drying chamber 201. Is formed. Thus, when pure water overflows in the drying chamber 201, the overflow pure water can be received by the overflow receiving portion 217. Further, a drain port 217a is provided on the bottom surface of the overflow receiving part 217, and the overflow overflows to the outside of the processing chamber 212 from a drain port 218 provided in the bottom part of the processing chamber 212 via a pipe or the like. Pure water can be drained. In the first embodiment, the partition plate lifting mechanism 214 is an example of the drainage device.

Here, an enlarged plan view of an upper portion of the drying chamber 201 provided with the overflow receiving portion 217 is shown in FIG.
FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view taken along line HH of the drying chamber 201 in FIG. 5A. As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, a triangular weir 201a having a V-shaped cut shape is formed on the inner edge of the O-shaped overflow receiving portion 217, that is, at the upper end of the drying chamber 201.
However, as an example, a plurality of the pure water 40 are formed at regular intervals, and the overflow receiving portion 2 of the pure water 40 on the liquid surface side is provided.
When inflowing into 17 (that is, overflowing), by inflowing from each triangular weir 201a into the overflow receiving portion 217, the inflow flow rate can be easily adjusted and the inflow can be performed smoothly. It is like this. In addition, the above-mentioned fixed interval of the triangular dam 201a may be the same as the arrangement interval of the wafers 2 supported by the wafer carrier 13.

In the drying chamber 201, the respective droplet supply devices 3 installed on the lid 211 of the processing chamber 212
At the same time as injecting nitrogen gas into the space 4 on the liquid surface of the pure water 40 in the drying chamber 201 in the processing chamber 212,
It is higher than the temperature (for example, room temperature) of the wafer 2 which is immersed in the upper pure water tank 40a in the pure water 40 and is supported by the wafer carrier 13, preferably at least 5 ° C. higher than the temperature of the wafer 2, and more preferably. Liquid phase IPA is jetted at a temperature higher than the temperature of the wafer 2 in the range of 5 ° C. to 60 ° C. to supply the droplet IPA into the space 4, and the pure water 40 in the drying chamber 201 is supplied. When the wafer 2 is exposed above the liquid surface from the pure water 40 in the drying chamber 201 by draining the liquid (that is, draining the pure water from the upper pure water tank 40a), each droplet supply device. 3 to the surface of the wafer 2 in the form of droplets of IPA, that is, instead of using nitrogen as a carrier, IPA
A itself is continuously supplied in a state of being suspended in nitrogen gas so that the pure water 40 adhering to the surface of the wafer 2 is replaced by the IPA in the droplet form.

Here, the structure of the droplet supply device 3 is shown in FIG.
Explaining in detail with reference to (A) and (B), each droplet supply device 3 is, as shown in FIGS. 6 (A) and (B), a rectangular parallelepiped main body made of a fluororesin along the longitudinal direction. Nitrogen gas passage 3a formed penetrating therethrough and liquid phase IP
A passage 3c for A is provided, which extends from the passage 3a for nitrogen gas and is opened substantially toward the wafer 2 (specifically, in a space between adjacent wafers 2 and at a position corresponding to the center of the wafer 2). Narrow nitrogen gas jet passage 3 having jet holes 3e
A thin IPA jet passage 3 that includes a large number of b and has an injection hole 3f that extends from the IPA passage 3c and opens toward the injection hole 3e at the opening end of the nitrogen gas jet passage 3b.
It has a large number of d. Therefore, a droplet of IPA is supplied into the space 4 by injecting nitrogen gas from the injection hole 3e of the nitrogen gas ejection passage 3b and at the same time ejecting liquid-phase IPA from the injection hole 3f of the IPA ejection passage 3d. can do. A pair of droplet supply nozzles is constituted by the ejection holes 3e of the nitrogen gas ejection passage 3b and the ejection holes 3f of the IPA ejection passage 3d, and each pair of droplet supply nozzles is provided at a predetermined interval. The space 4 is arranged facing the space between the adjacent wafers 2 out of the arranged wafers 50, for example.
By arranging the droplet supply nozzles on the outer sides of the wafers 2 at both ends, the droplets of IPA can be jetted and supplied from the droplet supply nozzles to the entire surface of all the wafers 2. ing.

Instead of the case where the droplet supply device 3 supplies the droplet IPA into the space 4 as described above, the gaseous IPA is supplied into the space 4 by a known injection device. Alternatively, the injection may be performed by. In such a case, when the wafer 2 is exposed above the liquid surface from the pure water 40 in the drying chamber 201, IPA in a gas state from the known spraying device is applied to the surface of the wafer 2. Continuing to jet the pure water 40 adhering to the surface of the wafer 2 by the gaseous IPA (or the liquid phase I obtained by condensing the gaseous IPA).
Can be replaced). Further, instead of supplying the droplet-shaped IPA into the space 4 by the droplet supply device 3, mist-shaped IPA may be sprayed into the space 4. This is because even the mist-shaped IPA can achieve the same effect as the droplet-shaped IPA.

On the other hand, nitrogen gas is used at room temperature or the wafer 2.
Or at a temperature higher than room temperature (for example, a room temperature or a high temperature in the range from the temperature of the wafer 2 up to 60 ° C.), and preferably at least 5 ° C. or more than the room temperature or the temperature of the wafer 2. It is supplied at a high temperature, more preferably at room temperature or at a temperature higher than the temperature of the wafer 2 by 5 ° C. to 60 ° C., and as shown in FIG. 4, the filter 39, the pressure reducing valve 29, and the first air operate It is supplied via the valve 30 and the flow meter 31 to the respective droplet supply devices 3 arranged on the left and right of the lid 211 of the processing chamber 212 in FIG. It is preferable that the first air operate valve 30 automatically adjusts the flow rate of nitrogen gas based on the flow rate of nitrogen gas detected by the flow meter 31. As a result, the temperature of the droplets is normal temperature or the wafer 2
Is sprayed at a temperature higher than room temperature or at least 5 ° C. higher than the temperature of the wafer 2 and more preferably at room temperature or higher than the temperature of the wafer 2 in the range of 5 ° C. to 60 ° C. When supplying the nitrogen gas to each of the left and right droplet supply devices 3, the nitrogen gas is supplied into the nitrogen gas passage 3a in one direction from one end side of each droplet supply device 3 toward the other end closed portion. You can do it. This has the advantage that the structure is simple. However, when pressure loss occurs in the nitrogen gas passage 3a and the nitrogen gas cannot be uniformly ejected from the ejection holes 3e of all the nitrogen gas ejection passages 3b, one end side of each droplet supply device 3 If the nitrogen gas is supplied into the nitrogen gas passage 3a from both sides of the nitrogen gas and the other end at the same time, pressure loss can be prevented in the nitrogen gas passage 3a, and the nitrogen gas can be prevented. Can be uniformly ejected from the ejection hole 3e.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the nitrogen gas passes through the filter 39, the pressure reducing valve 20, and the eighth air operate valve 28, and the lid 211 of the processing chamber 212 in FIG.
It is supplied to the drying nozzle 5 arranged in the center of. After the pure water 40 adhering to the surface of the wafer 2 is replaced with IPA, by spraying nitrogen gas at the drying nozzle 5, evaporation and drying of IPA can be promoted.

In FIG. 4, the IPA in the IPA pumping tank 41 is changed by the pressure of the nitrogen gas which is pumped into the IPA pumping tank 41 through the filter 39, the pressure reducing valve 20, the second air operate valve 21, and the filter 22.
Liquid 42 is disposed on the left and right sides of the lid 211 of the processing chamber 212 in FIG. 2 via the third air operate valve 24, the respective filters 25, the flow meter 26, and the fourth air operate valve 27. The liquid droplets are supplied to the droplet supply devices 3 thus formed. Reference numeral 23 is a relief valve for the IPA pressure feed tank. The respective fourth air operate valves 27 are arranged in the left and right droplet supply devices 3, and automatically adjust the flow rate of the IPA liquid based on the flow rate of the IPA liquid detected by the respective flow meters 26. Thus, when the droplets are supplied from the droplet supply devices 3 on the left and right sides into the space 4 on the liquid surface of the pure water 40 in the drying chamber 201,
The balance between the left and right droplet supply states is automatically adjusted. When the IPA liquid is supplied to each of the left and right droplet supply devices 3, the IPA liquid is unidirectionally directed from one end side of each droplet supply device 3 toward the other end closed portion.
It can be supplied inside. This has the advantage that the structure is simple. However, IPA
When a pressure loss occurs in the supply passage 3c and the IPA liquid cannot be uniformly ejected from the ejection holes 3f of all the IPA ejection passages 3d to supply uniform IPA droplets, each droplet supply If the IPA liquid is supplied into the IPA passage 3c from both the one end side and the other end side of the device 3 at the same time, the pressure loss in the IPA passage 3c can be prevented. , IPA liquid can be uniformly ejected from the ejection holes 3f to supply uniform IPA droplets.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, in order to prevent the pressure of the space 4 in the processing chamber 212 from rising abnormally, an exhaust passage 43 is provided in the processing chamber 212 to adjust the exhaust flow rate. Manual valve 7 and fifth to start or stop exhaust
An air operate valve 8 is provided. In addition, a pressure sensor is arranged in the space 4, and the fifth air operated valve 8 is operated according to the pressure in the space 4 detected by the pressure sensor.
Can also be opened and closed automatically.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a drying chamber 201
A sixth air operate valve 35 is provided at the drainage port 219 at the bottom of the device to adjust the drainage flow rate.
Further, the drainage passage 218 at the bottom of the processing chamber 212 is provided with the drainage passage 44, and the drainage passage 217 of the overflow receiving portion 217 is provided in the drainage passage 44 in the processing chamber 212.
The drainage passage from a is connected, and drainage is performed from the inside of the processing chamber 212 to the outside of the wafer drying device 501 via the drainage passage 44. Although not shown, a water sealing mechanism is provided on the drainage passage 44 to maintain the pressure of the space 4 in the processing chamber 212.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a pure water supply passage 210 is connected to the pure water supply section 210 provided in the lower pure water tank 40b in the drying chamber 201, and the pure water supply passage 45 is provided. Water is supplied to the pure water supply unit 210 via a manual valve 32, a flow meter 33, and a seventh air operate valve 34 provided on the path of the pure water supply passage 45. It is preferable that the opening of the seventh air operate valve 34 is automatically controlled based on the flow rate of pure water detected by the flow meter 33 to automatically adjust the flow rate of pure water.

The first air operated valve 30, the second air operated valve 21, the third air operated valve 24, each fourth air operated valve 27, and the fifth air operated valve 24.
The air operated valve 8, the sixth air operated valve 35, the seventh air operated valve 34, and the eighth air operated valve 28 are connected to the control device 47, and are automatically processed based on a predetermined program or the like. It is possible to control the flow rate of each of the nitrogen gas and the liquid of IPA supplied to the space 4 in 212, that is, the supply state of the droplets of IPA, the exhaust amount from the space 4, the drainage amount of the pure water 40, and the like. I have to. In addition, the control device 47
It is also possible to control each operation in the partition plate lifting mechanism 214.

The procedure for performing the drying process of the wafer 2 in the wafer drying device 501 having the above structure will be described below.

First, in FIGS. 1 to 4, the seventh air operated valve 34 of the pure water supply passage 45 is opened to supply pure water by the pure water supply unit 210 into the drying chamber 201, and the lower pure water tank 40b is filled with water. Let After that, the partition plate 25
Pure water is supplied from the lower pure water tank 40b through the gap between the peripheral portion of 0 and the inside of the drying chamber 201 to fill the upper pure water tank 40a. After that, the lid 211 is opened, and the wafer carrier 13 supporting a plurality of wafers 2 is placed in the processing chamber 2.
The wafer carrier 13 is carried into the carrier 12, and the wafer carrier 13 is immersed in the pure water 40 in the drying chamber 201 and fixed by the carrier fixing unit 9. At this time, the deionized water is overflowed from the drying chamber 201 to the overflow receiving portion 217, so that the upper deionized water tank 40a of the drying chamber 201 in which the wafer 2 is immersed.
The foreign matter inside is floated in the vicinity of the liquid surface of the pure water 40, and the foreign matter is discharged out of the drying chamber 201 together with the overflowed pure water for cleaning.

Next, in a state where the exhaust passage 43 is closed, that is, in a state where the space 4 of the processing chamber 212 is sealed, nitrogen gas is jetted from each droplet supply device 3 and at the same time IP
Liquid A is sprayed near the above-mentioned nitrogen gas spray opening to IPA.
Is supplied into the space 4 at a rate of, for example, about 2 cc / min. The direction in which the liquid droplets are supplied is generally downward, and is generally toward the wafer 2 in the pure water 40 (specifically, the direction between the adjacent wafers 2 and the position corresponding to the center of the wafer 2). As a result, it is preferable that the liquid droplets be uniformly held on the liquid surface of the pure water 40. At this time, when the pressure in the space 4 of the drying chamber 201 becomes abnormally high, it is preferable to open the exhaust passage 43 to reduce the pressure.

Next, in the state where the liquid droplets are continuously supplied in such a manner that the vicinity of the liquid surface of the pure water 40 in the space 4 can be kept covered with a large number of IPA liquid droplets, Four
The partition plate elevating mechanism 214 is controlled by the control of No. 7, and the partition plate 250 in the state of being located at the lower end position of the elevating operation is gradually lifted at a constant speed. As an example of the rising speed of the partition plate 250, the rising speed is about 10 mm or less per second, and preferably about 2 mm per second when droplets are supplied at, for example, about 2 cc / min.

As the partition plate 250 starts to rise, a substantially radial flow from the vicinity of the center of the liquid surface of the pure water 40 in the drying chamber 201 to the entire peripheral portion of the upper end of the drying chamber 201 occurs, and the pure water 40 flows. The liquid surface-side pure water flows into the overflow receiving portion 217 through each triangular weir 201a, and the drain port 217a in the overflow receiving portion 217 is provided.
The liquid surface side pure water that has flowed into the overflow receiving portion 217 is drained through the drainage passage.

The lower pure water tank 4 is provided by the pure water supply unit 210.
The amount of pure water supplied to the partition plate 2 is
The seventh air operate valve 34 is controlled by the controller 47 in accordance with the amount of the liquid surface side pure water discharged as the temperature rises by 50. That is, when the partition plate 250 rises, the lower pure water tank 4
The amount of pure water commensurate with the increase in volume at 0b is supplied to the lower pure water tank 40b. Therefore, when the upper pure water tank 40a is raised by raising the partition plate 250, the flow of pure water hardly occurs in the gap between the peripheral portion of the partition plate 250 and the inside of the drying chamber 201. As a result, only the pure water in the upper pure water tank 40a can be raised and discharged by raising the partition plate 250.

If the partition plate elevating mechanism 214 can smoothly perform the lifting operation of the partition plate 250, the partition plate 250 can be smoothly moved in accordance with the size of the gap between the peripheral portion of the partition plate 250 and the inside of the drying chamber 201. The amount of pure water supplied from the pure water supply unit 210 into the lower pure water tank 40b of the drying chamber 201 is
There may be a case where the volume is made larger or smaller than the volume increase of the lower pure water tank 40b due to the rise of the partition plate 250.

Therefore, when the pure water on the liquid surface side is drained,
The partition plate 250 is raised at a rising speed capable of causing the above-mentioned substantially radial surface flow on the liquid surface. As a result, the pure water in which the liquid surface of the pure water 40 or the IPA in the vicinity of the liquid surface is dissolved and the floating foreign substances are caused to flow into the overflow receiving portion 217 together with the liquid surface side pure water by the surface flow. Can be discharged.

As a result, the upper portion of the wafer 2 which is raised as the partition plate 250 is raised is exposed above the liquid surface of the pure water 40, but the wafer surface is exposed to oxygen and is naturally oxidized. Instead, the IPA droplets that are being sprayed uniformly on the surface of the pure water 40 are immediately replaced with the pure water that has adhered to the surface of the wafer 2.

After that, when the partition plate 250 is raised to the upper end position of its lifting operation, that is, the partition plate 250.
When the lower ends of the respective wafers 2 supported by the wafer carrier 13 that has been raised together with them are raised to a position above the upper end of the drying chamber 201 with some margin,
The rising of the partition plate 250 is stopped, and each wafer 2 is treated with pure water 4
From 0, the state is completely exposed, and the replacement of the pure water attached to the surface of each wafer 2 with IPA is completed. After that, the supply of droplets from the droplet supply device 3 is stopped, and the injection of nitrogen gas from the drying nozzle 5 is started. As a result, evaporation of the IPA from the surface of each wafer 2 is promoted, and the surface of each wafer 2 is dried. After the completion of the drying, the injection of nitrogen gas from the drying nozzle 5 is stopped. The drying process of the wafer 2 is completed. Instead of spraying nitrogen gas from the drying nozzle 5, each wafer 2 may be left as it is and the IPA is naturally evaporated from the surface of each wafer 2.

Thereafter, the lid 211 of the processing chamber 212 is opened, the fixing of the wafer carrier 13 by the carrier fixing portion 9 is released, and each wafer 2 is unloaded from the processing chamber 212 together with the wafer carrier 13.

In addition, IPA or nitrogen gas or I
The temperature of PA and nitrogen gas is set higher than room temperature which is the temperature of the wafer 2, preferably at least 5 ° C. or higher, and more preferably in the range of 5 ° C. to 60 ° C. When supplied, the evaporation of IPA from the surface of each wafer 2 can be promoted, and the drying of each wafer 2 can be performed more quickly. For example, when the wafer 2 is at room temperature and IPA droplets are supplied at any temperature within the above range to dry 50 wafers, each wafer is dried in a drying time of 10 minutes or less. be able to.

It should be noted that the partition plate 250 is raised and the pure water 4
In the case of discharging the liquid surface side pure water of 0, pure water is further supplied from the pure water supply unit 210, for example, about 30 liters / minute or less, preferably about 30 liters / minute or less, more preferably than the amount satisfying the capacity increase of the lower pure water tank 40b. The supply amount may be as high as about 4 liters / minute. In such cases,
It is possible to positively push extraneous substances and the like in the pure water 40 to the liquid surface side by the extra supplied pure water, and to discharge the foreign matter and the like together with the liquid surface side pure water more quickly and smoothly.

In addition to the pure water supply unit 210 provided in the lower pure water tank 40b, another pure water supply unit (not shown) is further provided in the upper pure water tank 40a. May be. In such a case, when the drying chamber 201 is filled with pure water, the pure water supply unit 210 supplies pure water into the lower pure water tank 40b, and the upper pure water tank 40a contains another pure water. Since pure water can be supplied by the water supply unit, the time required for the initial supply of pure water to the drying chamber 201 can be shortened. Also,
In the upper pure water tank 40a filled with pure water,
Further, by supplying pure water from the separate pure water supply unit and forcibly causing the pure water to overflow from the upper pure water tank 40a, foreign substances and the like in the upper pure water tank 40a can be removed more easily and quickly. You can

Further, instead of the case where the plurality of triangular weirs 201a provided at the upper end of the drying chamber 201 are all formed at a constant arrangement interval, along the surface of each wafer 2 supported by the wafer carrier 13. Is arranged at the upper end of the side surface of each of the drying chambers 201 facing each other in the direction of, and a longer array is arranged at the upper end of the side surface of each of the drying chambers 201 facing each other in the direction orthogonal to the surface of each wafer 2. A plurality of triangular weirs 201a may be formed at intervals. In such a case, pure water 4
Each of the wafers has a substantially radial flow from the vicinity of the center of the liquid surface, which has occurred when pure water surface-side pure water of 0 flows into the overflow receiving portion 217, toward the entire upper ends of the four side surfaces of the drying chamber 201. A strong flow can be obtained in the direction along the surface of No. 2. Accordingly, when a part of each wafer 2 is exposed above the liquid surface of the pure water 40, the liquid surface side pure water between the adjacent wafers 2 can be discharged with the above strong flow. Therefore, it is possible to improve the dischargeability of the pure water in which the IPA is dissolved in the liquid surface between the respective wafers 2 or in the vicinity of the liquid surface and the floating foreign matters.

In the case where a minute adjustment of the drainage flow rate is not required when draining the liquid surface side pure water from the drying chamber 201, a plurality of triangular weirs 201a are provided at the upper end of the drying chamber 201. Instead of forming the triangular weir 201a, the triangular dam 201a may not be formed.

Further, each triangular weir 201a is attached to the drying chamber 20.
It is not limited to the case of being formed on each of the four side surfaces of No. 1. For example, among the above four side surfaces, a plurality of triangular weirs 201a may be provided only along the respective side surfaces facing each other in the direction along the surface of each wafer 2 supported by the wafer carrier 13. Good.

In such a case, when the liquid surface side pure water of the pure water 40 is caused to flow into the overflow receiving portion 217, the triangular dams 2 are provided on the liquid surface from the vicinity of the center of the liquid surface.
It is possible to generate a flow along the surface of each wafer 2 toward the upper end side of each of the drying chambers 201 in which 01a are formed, that is, a surface flow in two opposite directions in the direction along the surface. As a result, when a part of each wafer 2 is exposed above the liquid surface of the pure water 40, the liquid surface side pure water between the adjacent wafers 2 is discharged by the surface flows in the opposite two directions. The liquid can be liquefied, and it is possible to improve the dischargeability of the pure water in which the IPA is dissolved in the liquid surface between the respective wafers 2 or in the vicinity of the liquid surface and the floating foreign matters.

When draining the liquid surface side pure water,
The partition plate 250 is raised at such a rising speed that the surface flows in the above two directions can be generated on the liquid surface. As a result, the liquid surface of the pure water 40 or the foreign matters floating in the vicinity of the liquid surface can be made to flow into the overflow receiving portion 217 together with the liquid surface side pure water by the surface flows in the above-mentioned two directions and discharged. .

Further, instead of the case where the respective triangular dams 201a are provided only on the upper ends of the above-mentioned one set which opposes each other, only a plurality of upper ends of the upper ends of the above-mentioned one set of plural triangular weirs are provided. It may be a case where the triangular weir 201a is provided. In such a case, pure water 40
When flowing the liquid surface side pure water into the overflow receiving part 217, the triangular weirs 201a are provided from the upper end side of the upper end of each of the above-mentioned one set in which the triangular dams 201a are not provided on the liquid surface. Each wafer 2 to the upper end side
It is possible to generate a unidirectional surface flow in the direction along the surface of the. As a result, a portion of each wafer 2 becomes pure water 4
When exposed above the liquid level of 0, the liquid surface side pure water between the adjacent wafers 2 can be drained by the surface flow in the one direction, and the liquid between the wafers 2 can be discharged. It is possible to improve the dischargeability of pure water in which IPA is melted on the surface or near the liquid surface and floating foreign substances.

When the pure water on the liquid surface side is drained,
The partition plate 250 is raised at such a rising speed that the surface flow in one direction can be generated on the liquid surface. As a result, the foreign matter or the like floating on the liquid surface of the pure water 40 or in the vicinity of the liquid surface can be made to flow into the overflow receiving portion 217 together with the liquid surface-side pure water by the surface flow in the one direction and discharged. .

Here, the surface flow generated on the liquid surface when the respective wafers 2 are exposed above the liquid surface of the pure water 40 in the drying chamber 201 will be described in detail. As an example of such a case, in the case where the above-described surface flows in two directions which are opposite to each other along the surface of the wafer 2 are formed on the liquid surface of the pure water 40, the wafer 2 is moved above the liquid surface. FIG. 25 is a schematic explanatory diagram for exposing.
Shown in (A) and (B). Note that in FIG. 25A, the wafers 2 in the state of being immersed in the deionized water 40 in the upper deionized water tank 40a have started to rise, and the respective wafers 2 are still completely in the deionized water 40. FIG. 25 (B) shows that the wafers 2 are further raised so that the upper portions of the respective wafers 2 are located above the liquid surface 40 s of the pure water 40. The exposed state is shown.

First, as shown in FIG. 25A, in the drying chamber 201, as the partition plate 250 starts to rise, each wafer 2 fixed and supported by the partition plate 250 moves at a speed. While being raised by the vector T, the pure water 40 in the upper pure water tank 40a is also raised by the velocity vector S. Further, the velocity vector T of each wafer 2 and the velocity vector S of the pure water 40 have the same direction and the same size (length). That is, each of the wafers 2 immersed in the pure water 40 and the pure water 40 around the wafer 2 are in a stationary state relative to each other.

Next, as shown in FIG. 25B, when the partition plate 250 is further raised in the drying chamber 201, the upper portions of the respective wafers 2 raised by the velocity vector T are deionized water. It is exposed above the liquid surface 40s of 40. Further, as shown in FIGS. 25A and 25B, as the partition plate 250 rises, the pure water 40 in the upper pure water tank 40a rises, so that the liquid surface 40s of the pure water 40 or its vicinity. In, a surface flow F1 (surface flow facing left in the drawing) and a surface flow F2 (surface flow facing right in the drawing) are formed in two opposite directions in the direction along the surface of each wafer 2. These respective surface flows F1 and F
As a result, the liquid surface side pure water 40 is discharged from the drying chamber 201 at or near the liquid surface 40s of the pure water 40. Further, as shown in FIG. 25B, the pure water 40 is raised by the velocity vector S, but the pure water 40
At or near the liquid surface 40 s, the raised pure water 40 becomes the liquid surface-side pure water, and the liquid surface-side pure water is continuously drained. Surface 4
The height of 0 s will be maintained at a substantially constant height. As a result, in the state shown in FIG. 25 (B), a relative speed difference, that is, a speed difference corresponding to the speed vector T is generated between each wafer 2 and the pure water 40. Due to the speed difference, the respective surface flows F1 and F
Each of the wafers 2 is exposed from the liquid surface 40s of the pure water 40 in the state where 2 is formed.

Instead of the known wafer carrier 13, the wafer holder 213 as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B may be used.
7A and 7B are partially enlarged side views of the wafer holder 213.

As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the wafer holder 213 can support the wafer 2 at two symmetrical positions along the surface of the lower portion of the disk-shaped wafer 2. The wafer support part 213a includes a plurality of frames 213b formed at regular intervals. Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, each wafer supporting portion 213a
Are formed in a comb-like shape on the frame 213b, so that spaces are secured at regular intervals between the wafer supporting portions 213a adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction of the wafers 2. Has been formed. This makes it possible to secure the space between the adjacent wafers 2 along the surface of the wafer 2 and the liquid surface of the pure water 40 from the upper end to the lower end of the wafer 2. There is.

By using such a wafer holder 213, when the wafer 2 immersed in the pure water 40 is exposed above the liquid surface, the wafer 2 is moved in the direction above the liquid surface and along the surface of the wafer 2. Due to the surface flow generated,
It is possible to further improve the dischargeability of the pure water in which the IPA is melted or the floating foreign matters on the liquid surface between the respective wafers 2 or in the vicinity of the liquid surface.

Further, in the drying chamber 201, the partition plate 2
Instead of the case where the gap is provided between the entire periphery of 50 and the inside of the drying chamber 201, the gap is not provided as shown in the schematic explanatory view of the drying chamber 201 in FIG. In addition, the entire periphery of the partition plate 251 and the drying chamber 201
There may be a case where the seal 251a is provided between the inside and the inside. In such a case, instead of raising the partition plate 251 by the partition plate elevating mechanism 214, the pure water supply unit 210 is used to move the lower pure water tank 40b.
The partition plate 251 can be raised along the inside of the drying chamber 201 by the water pressure of the pure water supplied therein. Therefore, a mechanical mechanism for moving the partition plate 251 up and down, that is, a mechanism such as the partition plate elevating mechanism 214 can be eliminated, and the wafer drying device can be a compact device, and the wafer drying device can be manufactured. The cost can be reduced.

Further, a large number of droplet-shaped I's supplied into the space 4 from the respective droplet supply devices 3 of the wafer drying device 501.
It is also conceivable that PA contains droplets having a large particle size that will drop without floating in nitrogen gas for a short time. Or IPA
It is also conceivable that the liquid will not be in the form of liquid drops but will flow into the space 4 as a liquid drop and be supplied. A droplet supply device 603 according to a modified example of the droplet supply device 3 in the wafer drying device 501 of the first embodiment will be described as a droplet supply device capable of preventing the occurrence of such a problem. . Further, FIG. 26 shows a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of the droplet supply device 603. The cross-sectional view of the droplet supply device 603 shown in FIG. 26 corresponds to the cross-sectional view of the droplet supply device 3 shown in FIG. 6B.

As shown in FIG. 26, a droplet supply device 603.
Is, for example, provided with two air passage portions formed along the longitudinal direction of a rectangular parallelepiped main body made of fluororesin,
A large number of supply holes 604 are provided to guide the nitrogen gas and IPA supplied or passed through the two air passage portions into the space 4. The droplet supply device 60
3 is similar to each of the droplet supply devices 3 included in the wafer drying device 501 shown in FIG. The lid 2 is placed so as to be along the arrangement direction of the respective wafers 2.
It is attached to 11.

As shown in FIG. 26, the main body of the droplet supply device 603 is roughly divided into two structures, an upper main body 603a and a lower main body 603b. A first groove portion 605 (a groove portion on the right side in the drawing) and a second groove portion 606 (a groove portion on the left side in the drawing), which are two groove portions formed along the lengthwise direction above the 603b, are located at the bottom of the upper side main body portion 603a. The two air passage portions are formed adjacent to each other by being surrounded by and. Furthermore, the upper side in the figure of the first groove portion 605, that is,
A nitrogen gas supply passage 607 is connected to the lower surface of the upper body 603a.
Numerous nitrogen gas injection holes 607a provided at the end of
As a result, nitrogen gas can be jetted and supplied into the first groove portion 605 substantially vertically downward. Further, an IPA supply passage 609 is connected to the first groove portion 605, and liquid phase IPA can be supplied into the first groove portion 605. As shown in FIG. 26, the first groove portion 605 has a substantially U-shaped cross section, and
The liquid-phase IPA supplied from the supply passage 609 can be stored in the first groove portion 605 having a substantially U-shaped cross section, that is, the first groove portion 605 is the liquid-phase IPA. It also serves as a storage area. Further, between the first groove portion 605 and the second groove portion 606 which are formed adjacent to each other, a supply passage 608 which connects them to each other in the vicinity of the upper portion thereof is formed. Further, respective supply holes 604 are formed in the vicinity of the upper left portion of the second groove portion 606 in the drawing.

Further, the formation height of each supply hole 604 and
The formation heights of the supply passages 608 are formed so that the formation heights of the respective supply holes 604 are lower than the formation heights of the supply passages 608. Also, the first
The supply passage 608 that connects the groove portion 605 and the second groove portion 606 in the vicinity of the upper portion of each other is not linear,
It is formed by bending downward in the drawing into a substantially L shape in the middle of the path. In addition, the wall surface of the bent portion of the supply passage 608 serves as a contact portion 610, and the gas flowing from the first groove portion 605 to the second groove portion 606 through the supply passage 608 flows out. A fluid such as the above can collide with the contact portion 610 and change its outflow direction downward.

Further, the nitrogen gas injection holes 60 are provided so that the nitrogen gas can be injected at high speed to the liquid surface of the liquid phase IPA supplied and stored in the first groove portion 605.
The injection port diameter of 7a, the arrangement pitch, and the injection direction are set, and the initial velocity of the injection of nitrogen gas from each nitrogen gas injection hole 607a is set. In addition, the injection direction of the nitrogen gas from each of the nitrogen gas injection holes 607a is not limited to the above-described substantially vertically downward direction,
It may be set in a diagonally downward direction. Further, the large number of supply holes 604 provided in the droplet supply device 603 are not limited to the above-described form, and instead of such a case, for example, they are formed along the longitudinal direction of the main body. It may be a slit-shaped supply unit. This is because such a slit-shaped supply portion can be considered to be one in which the large number of supply holes 604 are connected to each other to form an integral slit, and can perform the same function.

Droplet supply device 603 configured as described above.
A case will be described in which the droplet-shaped IPA is supplied from each supply hole 604. First, IP
Liquid phase IPA is supplied from the A supply passage 609 to the first groove 60.
5 and stores the liquid phase of the liquid phase IPA in the stored liquid phase through the nitrogen gas supply passages 607 from the respective nitrogen gas injection holes 607a, Spray at high speed. This allows
The liquid phase I stored in the first groove portion 605
PA is made into a large number of fine droplets of IPA. The large number of droplets of IPA generated in this manner flow out together with the nitrogen gas into the second groove 606 through the supply passage 608 and are further supplied by being blown out from the respective supply holes 604. Here, the first groove portion 605 and each supply hole 604 are not directly connected by the supply passage 608 but are connected via the second groove portion 606, and in the middle of the supply passage 608. Since the contact portion 610 is formed in the liquid, the liquid having a large diameter that does not float in the nitrogen gas when the droplet-shaped IPA is supplied from the first groove portion 605 to the second groove portion 606. Dropwise IP
A and the like, the liquid phase IPA dripping flowing out from the first groove portion 605 is collided with the contact portion 610, and the outflow direction thereof is changed to the downward direction so that the second groove portion 606 is formed.
Can be captured at. As a result, it is possible to prevent the large droplet-shaped IPA, the dripping, and the like from being supplied from the respective supply holes 604 into the spaces 4 in which the respective wafers 2 are held, and thus the large droplets. It is possible to prevent the deposition of metal or organic matter due to the adherence of IPA or dripping on the surface of the wafer 2.

In the above description, a large number of droplets of IPA and nitrogen gas are introduced into the space 4 from the respective droplet supply devices 3 or 603, and nitrogen gas is introduced into the space 4 from the drying nozzle 5. Although the case of supplying air has been described, the case of supplying air instead of nitrogen gas, which is an example of such an inert gas, may be used. When air is used as described above, there are advantages that the cost is low and the handleability is good. On the other hand, as described above, when an inert gas typified by nitrogen gas is used, there is an advantage in that the surface of each wafer 2 exposed in the space 4 can be suppressed from being oxidized. is there.

Further, the wafer drying apparatus 501 in the case of using air (Air) instead of nitrogen gas in this way.
FIG. 27 shows a flowchart of the above. As shown in FIG. 27, even when air is used, the configuration is similar to that when nitrogen gas is used.
Further, the air supplied through the pressure reducing valve 20 or 29 is
Similar to the case of nitrogen gas, it is supplied in a state of being cleaned by the filter 39, that is, as clean air.

According to the first embodiment described above, the drying chamber 201
When exposing each of the wafers 2 immersed in the upper pure water tank 40a of the pure water 40 in above, above the liquid surface of the pure water 40, the pure water drained only from the bottom surface of the drying chamber 201 and the wafer 2 The pure water in the upper pure water tank 40a is raised together with the respective wafers 2 instead of being pulled up from the pure water 40 by itself, so that the liquid surface side pure water is dried in the drying chamber 20.
Since the liquid is made to flow into the overflow receiving portion 217 from the upper part of 1 and the liquid is drained, it is possible to discharge foreign substances and the like floating on the liquid surface or near the liquid surface together with the liquid-side pure water.
Thereby, at the time of exposure from the liquid surface of each wafer 2,
It is possible to prevent the foreign matters and the like from adhering to the surface of the wafer 2.

The exposure of the pure water 40 in the drying chamber 201 immersed in the upper pure water tank 40a from the above liquid surface causes the pure water in the upper pure water tank 40a to rise together with the respective wafers 2. Then, the pure water on the liquid surface side is dried in the drying chamber 20.
The liquid droplets of IPA supplied into the space 4 above the liquid surface is the liquid surface of the pure water 40 or the liquid above because Even if it melts near the surface,
The pure water in which the IPA is dissolved can be continuously discharged as the pure water on the liquid surface side. As a result, it is possible to prevent an increase in the amount of IPA dissolved in the liquid surface or the pure water in the vicinity of the liquid surface, and improve the efficiency of replacement of the pure water in the water droplets with the IPA droplets. It is possible to improve the drying efficiency and prevent the occurrence of drying unevenness on the wafer surface.

When the pure water 40 in the drying chamber 201 is drained, the pure water 40 in the upper pure water tank 40a in which the wafers 2 are immersed together with the respective wafers 2 is raised to raise the drying chamber. Since the pure water 40 is drained by overflowing the liquid surface side pure water from the upper end of 201, the position of the liquid surface of the pure water 40 and the space 4 above the liquid surface are discharged during the drainage. The positions of are fixed to each other, that is,
Since the position of the liquid surface of the pure water 40 and the position of the droplet supply device 3 are fixed to each other, the distance between the droplet supply device 3 and the liquid surface can be always kept constant. As a result, droplet-shaped IPA can be stably provided in the space 4 and on the liquid surface from the start of the exposure of the wafer 2 from the liquid surface to the completion of the exposure (that is, from the start to the end of the drying process of the wafer 2). Can be supplied (in the case of using the gaseous IPA, the gaseous IPA can be stably supplied), and when each of the wafers 2 is exposed, the surface of each of the wafers 2 is exposed. Pure water and IPA in droplet form
The replacement efficiency with (or gaseous IPA) can be stabilized, and the occurrence of uneven drying on the surface of each wafer can be prevented.

When the partition plate elevating mechanism 214 lifts the partition plate 250 along the inside of the drying chamber 201, the amount of pure water corresponding to the amount of increase in the volume of the lower pure water tank 40b is increased according to the amount of the lift. Is supplied to the lower pure water tank 40b from the pure water supply unit 210, even if there is a gap between the peripheral portion of the partition plate 250 and the inside of the drying chamber 201, which does not contact each other, By raising the partition plate 250, only the pure water in the upper pure water tank 40a can be raised to drain the above-mentioned liquid surface side pure water. This eliminates the need to fill (or seal) the gap between the peripheral portion of the partition plate 250 and the inside of the drying chamber 201, and eliminates foreign matter due to friction that may occur when the gap is filled. Generation of pure water 4 in the drying chamber 201
It is possible to prevent the generation of foreign matter within 0.

Further, as the partition plate 250 is raised,
As the partition plate 250 rises, the lower pure water tank 40b
Since the amount of pure water commensurate with the increase in volume in the above is supplied to the lower pure water tank 40b, almost no pure water flows in the gap between the peripheral portion of the partition plate 250 and the inside of the drying chamber 201. It can be prevented from occurring. Therefore, the upper pure water tank 40a in which the wafer 2 is immersed
In the above, it is possible to eliminate the generation of a vortex flow due to the inflow of pure water, and the substantially radial or the smooth surface flow in the two directions or the one direction on the liquid surface allows the exposed wafers 2 to be separated from each other. It is possible to discharge pure water in which IPA is dissolved or floating foreign matter on the liquid surface or in the vicinity of the liquid surface.

Further, since the exposure of the wafer 2 from the liquid surface is performed by raising the water 2 and the pure water 40 in the upper pure water tank 40a in which the wafer 2 is immersed, That is, since the exposure can be performed in a state where the relative positions of the respective wafers 2 and the pure water 40 are fixed, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of shaking on the liquid surface of the pure water 40. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of drying unevenness on the surface of each wafer due to the occurrence of the shaking.

Further, when the wafer 2 is exposed from the liquid surface, the unevenness of drying can be eliminated by keeping the rising speed of the partition plate 250 constant.

Further, since the nitrogen gas is always kept in the space 4 above the surface of the pure water in which the wafer 2 is immersed, the upper portion of the wafer 2 is exposed from the pure water 40. Without the wafer surface touching oxygen and spontaneously oxidizing,
The IPA droplets that are uniformly supplied to the surface of the pure water 40 are immediately replaced with the pure water that has adhered to both the front and back surfaces of the wafer 2. The temperature of the IPA is higher than the temperature of the wafer 2, that is, the room temperature, preferably at least 5 ° C. or higher,
More preferably, if the temperature is raised in the range of 5 ° C. to 60 ° C., IPA easily adheres to both front and back surfaces of the wafer 2,
The pure water that has adhered to the front and back surfaces of the wafer 2 is easily replaced, and the surface of the wafer 2 dries quickly. Therefore, the drying time is shorter than the conventional case in which the pure water on the surface of the wafer at room temperature is replaced with the IPA at room temperature and then the IPA at room temperature is dried, so that the drying efficiency can be improved. In addition, since it is supplied to the liquid surface of the pure water 40 in the form of liquid droplets, compared to the conventional case where IPA is supplied by vapor, I
The consumption of PA can be significantly reduced. Also,
When supplying IPA with steam, it is necessary to cover the outside of the pipe with a heat insulating material in order to maintain the steam state. However, in the first embodiment, for example, IPA in a liquid phase at room temperature is simply dropped on the left and right sides. Since it suffices to supply each of the supply devices 3, it is not necessary to cover the pipe with a heat insulating material, and the device becomes simple.
Further, when the IPA is vaporized, energy for heating is required, but in the first embodiment, it is sufficient if the droplet supply device 3 has enough energy to inject the nitrogen gas and the IPA, Droplets of IPA can be formed with an inexpensive and simple device configuration. As described above, the nitrogen gas can be jetted from the opposite sides and the liquid-phase IPA can be jetted at the same time, so that the droplet-shaped IPA is filled in the space of the drying chamber, and The above-mentioned liquid IPA can be supplied to the entire front and back surfaces.

Further, the liquid phase IPA is not formed into droplets by electric energy such as ultrasonic waves, but the electric energy is not used, and the IPA is generated in the vicinity of the nitrogen gas injection hole.
By injecting the IPA from the injection nozzle, the liquid-phase IPA can be made into droplets, so that the highly flammable I
Safer and more stable droplet I for PA
The PA supply operation can be performed.

The present invention is not limited to the first embodiment described above, but can be implemented in various other modes.

(Second Embodiment) For example, a wafer drying device 502, which is an example of a substrate drying device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, is a wafer drying device 501 of the first embodiment.
As described above, the partition plate 250 is provided, and the drying chamber 201 is divided into two layers, that is, the upper pure water tank 40a and the lower pure water tank 40b, and the partition plate elevating mechanism 214 raises the partition plate 250 to immerse the wafer 2. Drying room 20
The liquid surface side pure water in the upper pure water tank 40a is not discharged, but the liquid surface side pure water is discharged by raising the bottom surface of the drying chamber which is an example of the movable floor. The other configurations are the same. Hereinafter, only the different portion will be described. Further, a vertical sectional view of the wafer drying device 502 is shown in FIG. 8, a sectional view taken along the line I-I in FIG. 8 is shown in FIG. 9, and a sectional view taken along the line JJ in FIG. 8 is shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, in the drying chamber 301 of the wafer drying device 502, the drying chamber 3
A bottom portion 350, which is the bottom surface of 01, is installed so as to be vertically movable along each side surface of the drying chamber 301. A seal 350a is provided between the bottom portion 350 and each side surface,
Even when the bottom portion 350 is moved up and down, the liquid in the drying chamber 301 does not leak from the above period. Also, the bottom portion 35
A bottom elevating mechanism 314, which is an example of a bottom elevating device for performing an elevating operation of 0, is provided on the processing chamber 312 and the machine table 315 of the wafer drying device 502. In addition, the seal 35
For 0a, for example, an O-ring or the like formed of fluorocarbon rubber having IPA resistance and chemical resistance is used.

The bottom elevating mechanism 314 is composed of a mechanism using an air cylinder, and is used for the bottom 3 of the drying chamber 301.
An air cylinder 314a fixed to the center of the lower surface of 50,
An elevating guide 314 that supports the air cylinder 314a so that it can be moved up and down and is fixed to the machine base 315 of the drying chamber 301.
b, and a compressed air supply unit (not shown) that supplies and exhausts compressed air to and from the air cylinder 314a.
Further, the bottom elevating mechanism 314 is controlled by the control device 47, and the compressed air supply section causes the air cylinder 31 to move.
By supplying the compressed air into the air 4a, the air cylinder 314a is raised along the elevating guide 314b, and the bottom portion 350 is raised along the inside of each side surface of the drying chamber 301. Further, by switching the direction of the compressed air supplied into the air cylinder 314a, the air cylinder 31
4a is lowered along the elevating guide 314b, and the bottom portion 35
0 is lowered along the inside of each side surface of the drying chamber 301.
Further, the rising and falling speeds of the air cylinder 314a are controlled by the control device 47, and are raised at a constant rising speed, for example.

As a result, the bottom lifting mechanism 314 includes the carrier fixing portion 9 and the pure water supply portion 310 fixed to the upper surface of the bottom portion 350, the wafer carrier 13 fixed by the carrier fixing portion 9, and the drying chamber 301. The pure water 40 contained therein can be moved up and down together with the bottom portion 350. The bottom lifting mechanism 314
Instead of the case where it is configured by the mechanism using the air cylinder 314a, other known lifting mechanisms such as a lifting mechanism using hydraulic pressure and a lifting mechanism using a ball screw shaft are used. May be In addition,
The carrier fixing part 9, the wafer carrier 13, and the pure water supply part 310 are the carrier fixing part 9, the wafer carrier 13 or the wafer holder 213 in the first embodiment.
Also, it has the same configuration and function as the pure water supply unit 210. The ascending speed of the bottom 350 by the bottom elevating mechanism 314 is the same as the ascending speed of the partition plate 250 in the first embodiment.

Further, the bottom portion 35 by the bottom portion lifting mechanism 314 is used.
In the ascending / descending operation of 0, the upper ends of all the wafers 2 supported by the wafer carrier 13 have a slight allowance in the drying chamber 301.
From a height position (lower end position of lifting / lowering operation) lower than the upper end of each of the above wafers 2 such that the lower ends of all the wafers 2 are positioned above the upper end of the drying chamber 301 with some margin ( It is performed in the range up to the upper end position of the lifting operation). That is, in a state where the pure water 40 is stored in the drying chamber 301 and is full of water, at the lower end position of the lifting operation, all the wafers 2 are immersed in the pure water 40 and the upper end of the lifting operation. At the position, the bottom part elevating mechanism 314 elevates and lowers the bottom surface 350 so that all the wafers 2 are completely exposed from the pure water 40. Further, a triangular weir 30 similar to the plurality of triangular weirs 201a formed at the upper end of the drying chamber 201 in the wafer drying apparatus 501 of the first embodiment described above.
1a are formed on the entire upper end of the drying chamber 301 at regular intervals, and an overflow receiving portion 317 similar to the overflow receiving portion 217 of the wafer drying apparatus 201 is provided on the outer periphery of the upper portion of the drying chamber 301. ing. Further, similarly to the processing chamber 212 and the drying chamber 201 of the wafer drying apparatus 501, a drain port 319 is provided at the bottom portion 350 of the drying chamber 301 and a drain port 318 is provided at the bottom portion of the processing chamber 312.
Is provided. In the second embodiment,
The bottom lifting mechanism 314 is an example of the drainage device.

A method of exposing each wafer 2 immersed in pure water 40 filled with water in the drying chamber 301 from the liquid surface of the pure water 40 in the wafer drying apparatus 502 having such a structure will be described with reference to FIG. , FIG. 9, and FIG. 10.

First, in the drying chamber 301, the bottom portion 350
Is located at the lower end position of the lifting operation by the bottom lifting mechanism 314.
Is filled with water and each wafer 2 is immersed in pure water 40. From this state, the bottom lifting mechanism 3 is controlled by the control device 47.
14 is controlled, and the bottom lifting mechanism 314 controls the bottom 35.
The ascending operation of 0 is started. When the bottom portion 350 is gently raised at the above-mentioned constant speed, the liquid surface side pure water of the pure water 40 overflows from the upper end of the drying chamber 301 and flows into the overflow receiving portion 317. At this time, the liquid is a plurality of triangular weirs 3 provided at the upper end of the drying chamber 301.
It is flowed into the overflow receiving portion 317 via 01a. The liquid that has flowed into the overflow receiving portion 317 is drained to the outside of the processing chamber 312 by the drainage passage 44 through the drainage port 317a and the drainage port 318.

As the bottom part 350 is raised by the bottom part raising and lowering mechanism 314, the liquid surface side pure water of the pure water 40 flows into the overflow receiving part 317 from the upper end of the drying chamber 301 and is drained, and is fixed to the bottom part 350. Carrier fixing part 9
The wafer carrier 13 fixed to the wafer is also raised, and each wafer 2 is exposed on the liquid surface. When the lower ends of all the wafers 2 are located above the upper end of the drying chamber 301,
The bottom part 35 by the bottom lifting mechanism 314 is controlled by the controller 47.
The zero rise is stopped.

When the liquid surface side pure water is discharged, pure water is further supplied from the pure water supply unit 310, for example, 30 liters / liter.
It may be supplied at a rate of not more than about minutes, preferably about 4 liters / minute. In such a case, foreign matter in the pure water 40 can be positively pushed up by the newly supplied pure water to the liquid surface side, and discharged quickly and smoothly together with the liquid surface side pure water. it can.

When the above-mentioned liquid surface side pure water is discharged, FIG.
While the sixth air operate valve 35 is opened, the drainage amount of the pure water 40 is adjusted from the drainage port 319 (however, 219 in FIG. 4) at the bottom of the drying chamber 301 (however, 201 in FIG. 4). It may be a case of draining. In this case, the draining operation of the liquid surface-side pure water due to the increase in the constant speed of the bottom portion 350 is maintained (that is, the fluctuation amount of the liquid surface-side pure water does not change). The amount of liquid drained from the liquid port 319 is adjusted.
In such a case, the substantially radial flow on the liquid surface (that is, the same flow as in the first embodiment).
The drainage speed of the pure water 40 can be increased while holding the temperature, the drying processing time of the wafer 2 can be shortened, and foreign matter on the bottom surface side of the drying chamber 301 in the pure water 40 can be removed from the drying chamber. It can be discharged outside 301.

According to the second embodiment, as in the wafer drying device 501 of the first embodiment, the drying chamber 20 is used.
Even if it is not the case that the pure water 40 in 1 is divided into two layers by the partition plate 250, the bottom portion 3 in the drying chamber 301
By providing the bottom lifting mechanism 314 for lifting 50, the bottom 350 of the drying chamber 301 is moved to the bottom lifting mechanism 31.
4, the liquid surface side pure water of the pure water 40 can be discharged from the upper end of the drying chamber 301 in a form of overflowing, and the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained. .

Further, in addition, the bottom lifting mechanism 314
Is installed on the machine base 315 below the drying chamber 301, the wafer drying device 502 can have a compact structure.

(Third Embodiment) Next, a wafer drying apparatus 503, which is an example of a substrate drying apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention, includes a partition plate 450 corresponding to the partition plate 250 in the first embodiment. The partition plate 450 and the wafer carrier 13 fixed to the upper surface of the partition plate 450.
With the supporting position of the wafer 2 being fixed in the processing chamber by the above-described method, an elevating mechanism similar to the bottom elevating mechanism 314 of the wafer drying apparatus 502 of the second embodiment is used to move not only the bottom of the drying chamber but also the drying chamber. By lowering the whole, the liquid surface side pure water is drained, and the other configurations are the same. Hereinafter, only this different part will be described. Further, this wafer drying device 503
FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional view of the above.

As shown in FIG. 11, the wafer drying device 50
3, the entire drying chamber 401 is set up and down in the processing chamber 412, and the drying chamber elevating mechanism 414, which is an example of an elevating device for elevating the drying chamber 401, is mounted on the machine base 415 of the wafer drying device 503. Is equipped with. Also,
Inside the drying chamber 401, an upper pure water tank 40a and a lower pure water tank 40b
Is provided with a partition plate 450 that is divided into two tanks, and the partition plate 450 has a clearance such that the entire peripheral portion thereof does not contact the inside of the drying chamber 401, and the lower pure water tank 40b passes through the clearance. Further, pure water can be supplied into the upper pure water tank 40a. The partition plate 45
0 is an example of the liquid moving plate corresponding to the movable floor of the first embodiment. Further, the carrier fixing portion 409 is fixed to the inside of the upper portion of the processing chamber 412, not to the bottom portion of the drying chamber 401, and the wafer carrier 13 can be attached to the carrier fixing portion 409, and the partition plate 450 is attached. It is fixed. A pure water supply unit 410 is fixed to the bottom of the drying chamber 401. Wafer carrier 1
3 and the pure water supply unit 410 are the same as the wafer carrier 13 or the wafer holder 213 and the pure water supply unit 210 in the first embodiment.

Further, the drying chamber elevating mechanism 414 is the second chamber
The air cylinder 414a, which has the same configuration as the bottom lift mechanism 314 in the embodiment and is fixed to the center of the bottom surface of the bottom of the drying chamber 401, is lifted and lowered along the lift guide 414b.
While being fixed to the processing chamber 412, the drying chamber 401
It is possible to move up and down. That is, with respect to the drying chamber 401, the partition plate 450 and the wafer carrier 1
It is possible to raise 3 relatively. Further, the speed of raising and lowering of the air cylinder 414a is controlled by the controller 47, and is lowered at a constant lowering speed, for example. The descending speed is the same as the ascending speed of the partition plate 250 in the first embodiment.

Further, the raising / lowering operation of the drying chamber 401 by the drying chamber raising / lowering mechanism 414 is such that the upper ends of all the wafers 2 supported by the wafer carrier 13 have some allowance.
From the height position (that is, the upper end position of the lifting operation) located below the upper end of 01,
Is performed in a range up to a height position (that is, a lower end position of the ascending / descending operation) such that the lower end thereof is located above the upper end of the drying chamber 401 with some margin. That is, in a state where the pure water 40 is stored in the drying chamber 401 and is filled with water, at the upper end position of the lifting operation, all the wafers 2 are immersed in the pure water 40 in the upper pure water tank 40a. Therefore, at the lower end position of the lifting / lowering operation, the lifting / lowering operation of the drying chamber 401 is performed by the drying chamber lifting / lowering mechanism 414 so that all the wafers 2 are completely exposed from the pure water 40 in the upper pure water tank 40a. Be seen.

Further, a triangular weir 401a similar to the plurality of triangular weirs 201a formed at the upper end of the drying chamber 201 in the wafer drying apparatus 501 of the first embodiment described above,
For example, the overflow receiving section 4 is formed on the entire upper end of the drying chamber 401 at regular intervals and is similar to the overflow receiving section 217 in the wafer drying apparatus 201.
17 is provided on the outer periphery of the upper portion of the drying chamber 401. Further, the processing chamber 212 and the drying chamber 2 of the wafer drying device 501.
As with 01, a drain port 419 is provided at the bottom of the drying chamber 401.
However, a drain port 418 is provided at the bottom of the processing chamber 412.

In the wafer drying apparatus 503 having such a structure, each wafer 2 immersed in the pure water 40 in the upper pure water tank 40a filled in the drying chamber 401 is exposed from the liquid surface of the pure water 40. About how to
This will be described with reference to FIG.

First, in the wafer drying device 503,
The drying chamber 401 is located at the upper end position of the raising / lowering operation by the drying chamber raising / lowering mechanism 414, and the pure water is supplied from the pure water supply unit 410 of the lower pure water tank 40b to the lower pure water tank 40b. The pure water 40 is filled in the drying chamber 401, and each wafer 2 is immersed in the pure water 40 in the upper pure water tank 40a. From this state, the controller 47 controls the drying chamber elevating mechanism 414, and the drying chamber elevating mechanism 414 starts the lowering operation of the drying chamber 401.

With the start of lowering of the drying chamber 401,
The surface side of the pure water 40 in the drying chamber 401 is the pure water 40.
It flows into the overflow receiving portion 417 via a and the drain port 417 in the overflow receiving portion 417
The liquid surface side pure water that has flowed into the overflow receiving portion 417 from a is drained through the drain passage.

The amount of pure water supplied from the pure water supply unit 410 is controlled by the controller 47 using the flow meter 33 in accordance with the amount of liquid surface side pure water discharged as the drying chamber 401 descends. It is supplied to the lower pure water tank 40b while controlling the seventh air operate valve 34. That is, as the drying chamber 401 descends, the amount of pure water commensurate with the increase in volume in the lower pure water tank 40b is supplied to the lower pure water tank 40b. Therefore, almost no pure water flows in the gap between the peripheral portion of the partition plate 450 and the inside of the drying chamber 401. Therefore, the drying chamber 401
By lowering, it becomes possible to raise only the pure water in the upper pure water tank 40a relative to the drying chamber 401 and discharge it.

Drying Chamber 401 by Drying Chamber Lifting Mechanism 414
Along with the lowering of the pure water 40 in the upper pure water tank 40a, the pure water 40 on the liquid surface side of the pure water 40 flows into the overflow receiving portion 417 from the upper end of the drying chamber 401 and is discharged.
Liquid level of the wafer 2 is lowered, and at the same time, each wafer 2 fixed to the wafer carrier 13 attached to the carrier fixing portion 409 fixed inside the upper portion of the processing chamber 412 is exposed on the liquid level. . When the lower ends of all the wafers 2 are located above the upper end of the drying chamber 401,
The controller 47 stops the descent of the drying chamber 401 by the drying chamber elevating mechanism 414.

According to the third embodiment, the partition plate 2 is used like the wafer drying device 501 in the first embodiment.
By raising 50, the pure water in the upper pure water tank 40a is raised together with the wafer 2 so that the liquid surface side pure water is not drained, but the partition plate 450 and the carrier fixing portion 4
09 is fixed to the processing chamber 412 and the drying chamber 401 is lowered to raise the partition plate 450 and the carrier fixing portion 409 relative to the drying chamber 401, that is, the pure water in the upper pure water tank 40a. Can be raised relative to the drying chamber 401 together with the wafer 2 to drain the liquid surface side pure water. Therefore, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that of the first embodiment.

Further, according to each of the above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention, the liquid surface side pure water is discharged by raising both the substrate and the pure water in which the substrate is immersed in the drying chamber. The exposure of the substrate from the liquid surface of the pure water is performed, but even when the exposure of the substrate is performed by an embodiment different from each of the embodiments of the present invention, the problem of the present invention is It is possible to solve. In describing the above-mentioned another embodiment, first, the concept of the above-mentioned another embodiment will be described.

According to the first concept of the another embodiment, in the substrate drying method of exposing a substrate immersed in pure water in a drying chamber from the pure water to dry the substrate, the pure water in the drying chamber is used. Nitrogen gas and mist-shaped isopropyl alcohol are supplied into the space above the liquid surface, and the liquid surface-side pure water is drained from the liquid surface of the pure water or near the liquid surface to lower the liquid surface and dry the liquid. The substrate is exposed above the liquid surface from the pure water in a room, and the pure water attached to the exposed surface of the substrate is replaced with the mist-like isopropyl alcohol, and then the There is provided a substrate drying method, wherein the substrate is dried by evaporating the isopropyl alcohol from the surface of the substrate.

Also, a drying chamber in which the substrate can be immersed in pure water, a mist supply device for supplying nitrogen gas and mist-like isopropyl alcohol into the space above the liquid surface of the pure water in the drying chamber, A drainage device for draining the liquid surface side pure water from the liquid surface of the pure water in the drying chamber or in the vicinity of the liquid surface. By draining the liquid surface side pure water by the liquid discharging device, The liquid surface is lowered to expose the substrate above the liquid surface from the pure water, and at the same time, the pure water attached to the exposed surface of the substrate is replaced by the mist-like isopropyl alcohol. Then, the substrate drying apparatus is characterized in that the substrate is dried by evaporating the isopropyl alcohol from the surface of the substrate.

According to the first concept, when the substrate immersed in pure water in the drying chamber is exposed above the liquid surface of the pure water, the pure water is discharged only from the bottom surface of the drying chamber. It is not by the liquid or by pulling up the substrate itself from the pure water. By discharging the liquid surface side pure water, the liquid surface can be lowered in the drying chamber to expose the substrate from the liquid surface. This makes it possible to prevent foreign substances or the like floating on or near the liquid surface from adhering to the surface of the substrate when the substrate is exposed from the liquid surface.

The exposure of the substrate immersed in the pure water in the drying chamber from the liquid surface is performed by draining the liquid surface side pure water. Even when the mist-like isopropyl alcohol supplied into the space is dissolved in the liquid surface of the pure water or in the vicinity of the liquid surface, the pure water in which the isopropyl alcohol is dissolved as the liquid surface-side pure water is Drainage can be performed continuously. With this, it is possible to prevent an increase in the amount of the isopropyl alcohol dissolved in the pure water on the liquid surface or in the vicinity of the liquid surface, and to improve the replacement efficiency of the pure water in the pure water with the mist-like isopropyl alcohol. By improving the efficiency, it is possible to improve the drying efficiency of the substrate and prevent the occurrence of drying unevenness on the surface of the substrate.

According to the second concept of the another embodiment, the drainage device is configured such that a drainage port provided at a side portion of the drying chamber and a liquid flowing into the drainage port are discharged to the outside of the drying chamber. A drain port drainage mechanism for draining the liquid, and a drain port lift mechanism for moving the drain port up and down in the drying chamber, wherein the drain port lifting mechanism moves the drain port in the drying chamber. By lowering, the liquid surface side pure water is caused to flow into the drainage port from the liquid surface of the pure water or in the vicinity of the liquid surface, and the liquid in the drainage port is drained by the drainage port drainage mechanism. A substrate drying apparatus according to the first concept, in which surface-side pure water is drained to the outside of the drying chamber.

According to the second concept, the drainage device is
By having a drainage port, a drainage port drainage mechanism, and a drainage port lifting mechanism, the drainage port lifting mechanism lowers the drainage port in the drying chamber, The liquid surface side pure water is caused to flow into the drainage port from the liquid surface of the water or in the vicinity of the liquid surface, and the liquid surface side pure water in the drainage port is dried by the drainage port part draining mechanism. It is possible to drain the liquid outdoors.

According to the third concept of the above-mentioned another embodiment, the substrates immersed in the pure water are arranged so that their surfaces are substantially parallel to each other and substantially orthogonal to the liquid surface of the pure water. And a plurality of substrates, wherein the liquid surface side pure water is drained by a flow along the liquid surface and along the surface of each of the substrates. Provide a device.

According to the third concept, the plurality of substrates are arranged so that their surfaces are substantially parallel to each other and substantially orthogonal to the liquid surface of the pure water, and the substrates are immersed in the pure water, When the liquid surface side pure water is discharged along the liquid surface and along the surface of the substrate, when a part of each substrate is exposed above the liquid surface of the pure water. Therefore, it is possible to improve the dischargeability of the pure water in which the isopropyl alcohol is dissolved and the floating foreign substances on the liquid surface or in the vicinity of the liquid surface between the adjacent substrates.

According to the fourth concept of the another embodiment, the drying chamber has side surfaces facing each other, and the drainage port is installed along the inside of each side surface facing each other, and the liquid surface side There is provided a substrate drying apparatus according to the third concept, wherein pure water is caused to flow into each of the drainage ports to create the flow.

According to the fourth concept, the drain ports of the drainage device are installed along the insides of the respective side surfaces of the drying chamber, which face each other, and the liquid surface side pure water is drained. By causing the liquid to flow into the liquid outlet and discharging the liquid, the flow along the liquid surface and along the surface of the substrate can be generated.

According to the fifth concept of the above-mentioned another embodiment, the liquid surface side deionized water is discharged so that the descending speed of the liquid surface in the drying chamber becomes constant. There is provided a substrate drying method or apparatus according to the four concepts.

According to the fifth concept, when the substrate is exposed from the liquid surface, the descent rate of the liquid surface is kept constant, so that it is possible to eliminate unevenness in the drying of the substrate. Become.

According to the sixth concept of the another embodiment, the first to fifth concepts in which the substrate is fixed in the drying chamber until the substrate is completely exposed from the pure water from the liquid surface are provided. A substrate drying method or apparatus according to any one of the concepts is provided.

According to the above 6 concept, when the substrate is exposed from the liquid surface, the position is fixed without moving the substrate until the substrate is completely exposed. The liquid surface does not shake due to the movement of the substrate, and can be kept in a stable state. This makes it possible to eliminate unevenness in the drying of the substrate.

According to the seventh concept of the another embodiment, when the pure water on the liquid surface is drained from the liquid surface of the pure water or the vicinity of the liquid surface, the pure water is discharged from the vicinity of the bottom surface of the drying chamber. There is provided a substrate drying method or apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth concepts for draining pure water.

According to the seventh concept, when the pure water on the liquid surface side is drained, the pure water is drained from the vicinity of the bottom surface of the drying chamber. Since it is possible to shorten the time required for draining the pure water while draining the liquid surface side pure water, it is possible to more efficiently dry the substrate.

According to the eighth concept of the above-mentioned another embodiment, the drainage port is a groove portion having a plurality of triangular weirs on the upper side surface, and the drainage port is located at or near the liquid level in the pure water. There is provided a substrate drying apparatus according to any one of the first to seventh concepts, in which surface-side pure water is caused to flow into the groove portion by the triangular dams.

According to the eighth concept, when the pure water on the liquid surface side from the liquid surface or in the vicinity of the liquid surface flows into the groove portion from the drying chamber, a plurality of upper surface portions of the groove portion are provided. By inflowing the liquid surface side pure water through the triangular weir, the inflow flow rate can be easily adjusted.

According to a ninth concept of the above-mentioned another embodiment, there is provided a substrate drying method or apparatus according to any one of the first concept to the eighth concept, wherein the substrate is a wafer or a liquid crystal glass substrate.

According to the ninth concept, in the case where the substrate is a wafer or a liquid crystal glass substrate whose surface is required to be clean, it is possible to obtain the effects of the respective concepts.

Next, another embodiment will be described below as a fourth embodiment to a seventh embodiment.

(Fourth Embodiment) Next, a vertical sectional view of a wafer drying apparatus 101 which is an example of a substrate drying apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 12, and a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. Further, a flow chart showing a schematic configuration of the wafer drying device 101 is shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 12, FIG. 13, FIG. 14, and FIG. 15, the wafer drying device 101 has a box-like shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped with the entire upper surface opened, and the deionized water 40 is contained therein. A plurality of disk-shaped wafers 2 capable of accommodating
Is soaked in the pure water 40 stored therein, and can be dried after washing, and a drying chamber 1 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box shape and having a sealable space 4 therein. And a processing chamber 12 fixedly installed therein.

Further, the drying chamber 1 can carry in a well-known wafer carrier 13 for supporting a plurality of wafers 2 by arranging the surfaces of the wafers 2 in a direction substantially parallel to each other in the vertical direction and arranging the surfaces in a direction substantially parallel to each other. Further, it is provided with a carrier fixing part 9 which is an example of a substrate supporting mechanism for releasably fixing the loaded wafer carrier 13 in the drying chamber 1. The carrier fixing portion 9 is attached to the bottom surface of the drying chamber 1,
In a state where the drying chamber 1 is filled with pure water and filled with pure water, all the wafers 2 supported by the wafer carrier 13 are treated with pure water 4
It is possible to immerse in 0. The wafer carrier 1
Instead of carrying a plurality of wafers 2 into the drying chamber 1 by using the wafer carrier 3, the wafer 2 is directly transferred without using the wafer carrier 13.
It may be a case where the substrate is carried into the drying chamber 1 and is supported by the substrate supporting mechanism in the drying chamber 1 to fix the supporting position.

Further, the processing chamber 12 has a lid 11 which can be opened and closed on the upper surface thereof, and by opening the lid 11, supply and removal of the wafer carrier 13 containing a large number of wafers 2 and maintenance of the inside of the processing chamber 12 and the like. It is possible to close the space 4 inside the processing chamber 12 by closing the lid 11.
It is possible to make a sealed state. Further, the lid 11 is sprayed with nitrogen gas, which is an example of an inert gas, into the space 4 above the liquid surface of the pure water 40 stored in the drying chamber 1 in the processing chamber 12, and at the same time, isopropyl in the liquid phase is injected. Two mist spraying devices 3 for spraying alcohol (hereinafter simply referred to as IPA) to spray mist-like IPA into the space 4 and a drying nozzle 5 for spraying nitrogen gas into the space 4 are provided. It is equipped. The structures and functions of the mist spraying device 3 and the drying nozzle 5 are the same as those in the first embodiment.
This is the same as the mist spraying device 3 and the drying nozzle 5 in the embodiment.

Further, a tubular pure water supply unit 10 for supplying pure water into the drying chamber 1 is provided at the lower inside of the drying chamber 1 so that the pure water can be uniformly supplied into the drying chamber 1. To
The pure water supply unit 10 has a large number of pure water supply holes on the outer periphery of the tubular shape inside the drying chamber 1.

Further, a drain port having a groove having a substantially U-shaped cross-section having an upward opening and a gutter part 6 which is an example of the groove part are installed along the inner sides of the four side surfaces of the drying chamber 1. , The above-mentioned U of the trough 6 over the entire inner circumference of the above four side surfaces
A groove having a V-shaped cross section is integrally formed in a generally O-shape in a plan view. The groove means that the opening portion of the drainage port is continuously and integrally formed, and the drainage port is not limited to the shape of the groove portion, and the opening portion is Also includes those formed discontinuously or intermittently. In addition, the gutter portion 6 is formed such that the height positions of the upper ends of the inner edges of the four side surfaces are substantially horizontal. Further, the gutter portion 6 has a substantially horizontal position inside the drying chamber 1. While maintaining the state, the gutter part elevating mechanism 14, which is an example of the drainage part elevating mechanism, can move in parallel along the four side surfaces. Gutter lift mechanism 14
Is provided on the left side of the processing chamber 12 in FIG.
The processing chamber 12 and the gutter lift mechanism 14 are used for the wafer drying device 10.
1 is fixed on the machine base 15. Gutter lift mechanism 14
Is a ball screw shaft portion 14a vertically fixed to the machine base 15 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis, and a ball screw shaft portion 14a.
14b for rotating the ball forward and backward, and the ball screw shaft 14
A nut portion 14c that can be moved up and down along the ball screw shaft portion 14a by screwing the ball screw into a and rotating the ball screw shaft portion 14a forward and backward, and a nut fixed to the machine base 15 and in the forward and reverse rotation directions. A guide 14e that fixes the portion 14c and guides the lifting operation, and is formed in a gate shape by a plurality of rigid bodies, and one lower end is fixed to the nut portion 14c and the other lower end penetrates the upper surface of the processing chamber 12. Elevating frame 14d fixed to the gutter portion 6 on one side of the four side surfaces
It is composed of and. As an example of the driving unit 14b, a motor fixed to the lower end of the ball screw shaft 14a and directly rotating the ball screw shaft 14a forward or reverse, or a pulley fixed to the lower end of the ball screw shaft 14a. There is a motor that indirectly rotates the ball screw shaft portion 14a forward and backward via a belt or the like. In the gutter part elevating mechanism 14, it is possible to elevate the elevating frame 14d by rotating the ball screw shaft part 14a in the forward and reverse directions by the driving part 14b, and to elevate the gutter part 6 along the above-mentioned side surfaces of the drying chamber 1. ing. Accordingly, in the drying chamber 1 filled with pure water and filled with water, the gutter portion 6 whose upper end is located at the same height as the upper end of the drying chamber 1 is lowered by the gutter portion elevating mechanism 14. By doing so, it is possible to position the upper end of the gutter 6 below the liquid surface of the pure water 40 and allow the liquid-side pure water of the pure water 40 to flow into the gutter 6. Further, the lifting range of the gutter part 6 by the gutter part elevating mechanism 14 is, for example, that of the wafers 2 supported by the wafer carrier 13 from a height position where the upper end of the gutter part 6 is at the same height as the upper end of the drying chamber 1. It is a range up to a height position below the lower end.

Here, an enlarged plan view of the gutter portion 6 is shown in FIG.
16B is a sectional view taken along line EE of the trough portion 6 in FIG. 16A. As shown in FIGS. 16 (A) and 16 (B), the upper end of the inner edge of the trough portion 6 in the O-shape is
As an example, a plurality of triangular weirs 6a having a V-shaped cut shape are formed at regular intervals.
When the liquid surface side pure water of the pure water 40 is caused to flow into the trough section 6 by lowering, the flow rate of the inflow can be easily adjusted by causing the triangular weirs 6a to flow into the trough section 6. In addition to being able to do so, it is possible to secure the flow in the entire circumferential direction on the liquid surface. The triangular weirs 6a may have the above-mentioned constant interval which is the same as the arrangement interval of the wafers 2 supported by the wafer carrier 13.

In the trough section 6, the inflowing liquid can be collected in the trough section 6 on one side of the planar O-shape (that is, the left trough section 6 in FIG. 12). The bottom surface of the trough portion 6 (that is, the right-side trough portion 6 in FIG. 12) facing the one-side trough portion 6 is shallower than the bottom surface of the one-side trough portion 6, and each of the trough portions 6 connecting the both trough portions 6 is connected. The bottom surface of the gutter portion 6 is provided with a downward slope in the direction of the gutter portion 6 on one side. A suction port 16a of a gutter drainage mechanism 16, which is an example of a groove drainage mechanism, is fixed to the inside of the gutter part 6 on one side.
Reference numeral 6 denotes a drainage pipe 16b having a suction port 16a and fixed to an elevating frame 14d of a gutter part elevating mechanism 14, and a drainage pump 16c fixed to a machine base 15 of the wafer drying apparatus 101.
And a flexible hose 16d connecting the suction port of the drainage pump 16c and the drainage pipe 16b, and a drainage passage 46 is formed by these. As a result, the liquid flowing into the gutter 6 is collected in the gutter 6 on one side,
The gutter portion drainage mechanism 16 enables the liquid to be drained from the one side gutter portion 6 to the outside of the wafer drying apparatus 101 through the drainage passage 46. In the fourth embodiment, a drainage device for draining the liquid surface-side pure water in the drying chamber 1 is configured by the gutter part 6, the gutter part drainage mechanism 16, and the gutter part elevating mechanism 14. There is.

Further, in the drying chamber 1, overflow receiving portions 17 having a groove having a substantially U-shaped cross section having an upward opening are installed along the outer sides of the upper portions of the four side surfaces of the drying chamber 1. A groove having the above-mentioned U-shaped cross-section of the overflow receiving portion 17 is integrally formed in a substantially O-shape in a plan view on the entire upper outer periphery. Further, the side surface of the overflow receiving portion 17 on the drying chamber 1 side of the groove is formed by the upper outer side surface of the drying chamber 1, and the other side surface has a height position of its upper end higher than that of the upper end of the drying chamber 1. Is formed. As a result, when the pure water overflows in the drying chamber 1, the overflow pure water can be received by the overflow receiving portion 17.
In addition, a drain port 17a is provided on the bottom surface of the overflow receiving portion 17.
Is provided, and it is possible to drain the overflowed pure water to the outside of the processing chamber 12 through a drain port 18 provided at the bottom of the processing chamber 12 via a pipe or the like. Further, as shown in FIG. 16 (A), a plurality of triangular weirs 6b having a V-shaped notch shape are formed at regular intervals at the upper end of the outer trough 6 in the O-shape. Further, a plurality of triangular weirs 1a having a V-shaped notch shape are also formed at the upper end of the drying chamber 1 at regular intervals as an example. When the upper end of the gutter 6 is located at the same height as the upper end of the drying chamber 1, the triangular weirs 6b and the triangular weirs 1a are aligned with each other. As a result, in a state where the upper end of the gutter portion 6 is located at the same height as the upper end of the drying chamber 1, the drying chamber 1
In the case where the pure water supplied therein flows into the gutter section 6 and further flows into the overflow receiving section 17 from the gutter section 6 and overflows, the above-mentioned inflow into the overflow receiving section 17 is performed. Can be carried out through the triangular weirs 6b and the triangular weirs 1a, so that the inflow can be carried out smoothly.

Further, the bottom surface of the drying chamber 1 is provided with a gradient toward the center thereof and the drain port 19 is provided at the center thereof.
Is provided, and pure water in the drying chamber 1 can be smoothly discharged to the outside of the drying chamber 1 through the drainage port 19. In addition,
Each operation control of the gutter lift mechanism 14 and the gutter drainage mechanism 16 is performed by the controller 47.

A procedure for performing the drying process of the wafer 2 in the wafer drying apparatus 101 having the above structure will be described below.

First, in FIG. 12 to FIG. 15, the seventh air operated valve 34 of the pure water supply passage 45 is opened to supply pure water from the pure water supply unit 10 into the drying chamber 1, and the pure water is supplied to the drying chamber 1. To satisfy the condition. After that, the lid 11 is opened, and the wafer carrier 13 supporting the plurality of wafers 2
Is carried into the processing chamber 12, and the wafer carrier 13 is immersed in the pure water 40 in the drying chamber 1 and fixed by the carrier fixing portion 9. At this time, pure water is overflowed from the drying chamber 1 to the overflow receiving portion 17, so that the drying chamber 1
The foreign matter inside is floated in the vicinity of the liquid surface of the pure water 40, and the foreign matter is discharged to the outside of the drying chamber 1 together with the overflowed pure water for cleaning.

Next, in a state where the exhaust passage 43 is closed, that is, in a state where the space 4 of the processing chamber 12 is sealed, nitrogen gas is jetted from each mist spraying device 3 and at the same time, the IP
Liquid A is sprayed near the above-mentioned nitrogen gas spray opening to IPA.
Mist is sprayed into the space 4 at a rate of, for example, about 2 cc / min. The direction in which the mist is sprayed is a substantially downward direction and is directed substantially toward the wafer 2 in the pure water 40 (specifically, a direction between the adjacent wafers 2 and a position corresponding to the center of the wafer 2). It is preferable that the mist is uniformly held on the surface of the pure water 40. At this time, when the pressure in the space 4 of the drying chamber 1 becomes abnormally high, it is preferable to open the exhaust passage 43 to reduce the pressure.

Next, with the mist being continuously sprayed so that the vicinity of the liquid surface of the pure water 40 in the space 4 can be kept covered with the IPA mist in this way, the controller 47 is maintained.
By controlling the above, the supply of the pure water is stopped and the gutter part elevating mechanism 14 is controlled so that the gutter part 6 with its upper end positioned at the same height as the upper end of the drying chamber 1 has a constant speed. Therefore, it is gradually lowered. As an example of the descending speed of the gutter part 6, a descending speed of about 10 mm or less per second, preferably a descending speed of about 2 mm per second when mist is ejected and sprayed at, for example, about 2 cc / min. To do.

Along with the start of the descent of the trough portion 6, the O-shaped portion 4 from the vicinity of the center of the liquid surface in the pure water 40 in the drying chamber 1
A substantially radial flow is generated in the direction of the gutters 6 on each side, and the pure water 40 on the liquid surface side flows into the gutters 6 via the triangular weirs 6a of the gutters 6 and the controller 47. The drainage mechanism 16 is controlled by the control described above, and the above-mentioned liquid surface-side pure water that has flowed into the trough 6 is drained through the drainage passage 46. The drainage mechanism 16 may start draining before the gutter 6 starts to descend.

In short, when the liquid surface side pure water is discharged, the trough portion 6 is moved down at a descending speed capable of producing the above-mentioned substantially radial surface flow on the liquid surface. As a result, the pure water in which the IPA on the liquid surface of the pure water 40 or in the vicinity of the liquid surface and the floating foreign substances are caused to flow into the trough portion 6 together with the liquid surface side pure water by the above flow and discharged. You can

As a result, the upper portion of the wafer 2 is exposed above the liquid surface of the pure water 40. However, the wafer surface is not exposed to oxygen and is not naturally oxidized, and the wafer surface is evenly distributed over the pure water 40. The mist of IPA that is being continuously sprayed is immediately replaced with the pure water attached to the surface of the wafer 2. Further, the temperature of the IPA mist is higher than the temperature of the wafer 2, that is, room temperature (for example, 60 ° C. above the temperature of the wafer 2, that is, room temperature).
Rapidly), preferably at least 5 ° C or more, more preferably 5 ° C to 60 ° C.

When the upper end of the gutter 6 is lowered below the lower end of each wafer 2 supported by the wafer carrier 13, the descent of the gutter 6 is stopped and each wafer 2 is completely exposed from the pure water 40. Then, the replacement of the pure water attached to the surface of each wafer 2 with IPA is completed. After that, the mist spraying from the mist spraying device 3 is stopped, and the nitrogen gas injection from the drying nozzle 5 is started. As a result, each wafer 2
The evaporation of the IPA from the surface of the wafer 2 is promoted, and the surface of each wafer 2 is dried. After the above drying is completed, the drying nozzle 5
Injection of nitrogen gas is stopped. The drying process of the wafer 2 is completed. Instead of spraying nitrogen gas from the drying nozzle 5, each wafer 2 may be left as it is and the IPA is naturally evaporated from the surface of each wafer 2.

After that, the lid 11 of the processing chamber 12 is opened, the fixing of the wafer carrier 13 by the carrier fixing portion 9 is released, and each wafer 2 is transferred from the processing chamber 12 to each wafer carrier 13.
Are carried out upwards.

When the wafer 2 is at room temperature, the IPA or nitrogen gas, or the IPA and nitrogen gas is heated to a temperature higher than room temperature by 5 to 60 ° C. The spraying on the wafer 2 enables quicker drying. For example, 50 wafers can be dried in 10 minutes or less.

When the gutter portion 6 is lowered to drain the pure water 40 on the liquid surface side, the pure water supply portion 1 is further added.
It may be a case where pure water is supplied from 0 to about 30 liters / minute or less, preferably about 4 liters / minute. In such a case, the foreign matter or the like in the pure water 40 is positively pushed up to the liquid surface side by the newly supplied pure water so as to discharge it together with the liquid surface side pure water more quickly and smoothly. In addition to the above, it is possible to quickly and more smoothly discharge the above-mentioned liquid surface or the pure water near the liquid surface in which the IPA is dissolved.

When the trough portion 6 is lowered to drain the pure water 40 on the liquid surface side, the sixth air operate valve 35 is opened to remove the pure water from the drainage port 19 at the bottom of the drying chamber 1. It may be a case where the water is discharged while adjusting the amount of the water 40 discharged. In this case, the amount of the drainage liquid from the drainage port 19 is adjusted so that the descending speed of the liquid surface of the pure water 40 by the drainage liquid from the trough portion 6 and the drainage port 19 becomes constant. In such a case, the descending speed of the liquid surface of the pure water 40 can be increased while maintaining the substantially radial flow on the liquid surface, the drying processing time can be shortened, and the pure treatment can be shortened. Foreign matter on the bottom surface side of the drying chamber 1 in the water 40 can be discharged to the outside of the drying chamber 1. The drainage port 19 and the sixth air operate valve 35 are an example of a bottom drainage mechanism.

Further, a plurality of triangular weirs 6 provided in the trough portion 6
Instead of the case where all a are formed at a constant arrangement interval, a shorter arrangement interval is provided on each of the troughs 6 facing each other in the direction along the surface of each wafer 2 supported by the wafer carrier 13. Alternatively, a plurality of triangular dams 6a may be formed in the respective trough portions 6 facing each other in the direction orthogonal to the surface of each wafer 2 with a longer arrangement interval. In such a case, the above-mentioned generally radial direction from the vicinity of the center of the liquid surface, which has occurred when the liquid surface side pure water of pure water 40 is made to flow into the gutter portion 6, in the direction of the gutter portion 6 on the above four sides. The flow can be a strong flow in the direction along the surface of each wafer 2, and when a part of each wafer 2 is exposed above the liquid surface of the pure water 40, the flow between adjacent wafers 2 is increased. The liquid surface side pure water can be drained with the above strong flow, and the IPA in the liquid surface between the respective wafers 2 or in the vicinity of the liquid surface.
It is possible to improve the dischargeability of pure water in which is dissolved and floating foreign substances.

In the case where a minute adjustment of the drainage flow rate is not required when draining the liquid surface side pure water from the drying chamber 1, the plurality of triangular weirs 6a in the trough portion 6 are required.
Instead of the case where the triangular weir 6a is formed, the case where the triangular weir 6a is not formed may be used.

Moreover, the present invention is not limited to the case where the gutter portion 6 is formed on each of the four side surfaces of the drying chamber 1. For example, among the above four side surfaces, the case where the trough portions are provided only along the respective side surfaces facing each other in the direction along the surface of each wafer 2 supported by the wafer carrier 13 may be used. As a modified example of the fourth embodiment, a vertical sectional view of the wafer drying device 102 in such a case is shown in FIG. 17, and a sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 17 is shown in FIG. In the wafer drying device 102, the gutter portions 56 are not formed integrally with each other, but the elevating frame 14d of the gutter portion elevating mechanism 14 is arranged so that the upper end heights of the respective gutter portions 56 are at the same height position. The respective gutters 56 are fixed to the gutters 56, and the gutters 56 can be moved up and down at the same time while maintaining the same height position. In addition, the drain pipe 16b of the gutter portion drainage mechanism 16 is divided into two branches so that the drain pipe 16b is provided in each trough portion 56.
The suction port 16a of b is located so that the liquid that has flowed into the respective trough portions 56 can be discharged.

In such a wafer drying apparatus 102, the structure of the trough portion 56 can be simplified, and the liquid level of the pure water 40 on the liquid surface side when flowing into the trough portion 56 It is possible to generate a flow along the surface of each wafer 2 on the liquid surface from the vicinity of the center to the side of each trough 56, that is, a flow in two opposite directions in the direction along the surface, and a part of each wafer 2 can be generated. When the liquid is exposed above the liquid surface of the pure water 40, the liquid surface-side pure water between the adjacent wafers 2 can be drained by the flows in the opposite two directions, and the respective wafers can be discharged. It is possible to improve the dischargeability of the pure water in which the IPA is dissolved and the floating foreign matters on the liquid surface between the two and the vicinity of the liquid surface.

Further, in the wafer drying device 102,
When draining the liquid surface side pure water, the above-mentioned 2
The trough 56 is lowered at a descending speed capable of generating a directional flow (surface flow). As a result, the pure water in which the IPA in the pure water 40 or in the vicinity of the liquid surface is dissolved, and the floating foreign matter and the like are caused to flow into the trough portion 56 together with the pure water on the liquid surface side in the two-direction flows. Can be discharged.

Further, the case may be such that only one of the gutter portions 56 of the wafer drying apparatus 102 is provided. As another modification of the fourth embodiment, a vertical sectional view of such a wafer drying device 103 is shown in FIG. 19, and a sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. 19 is shown in FIG.
Shown in. In the wafer drying device 103, the structure of the gutter portion 56 can be further simplified, and
When injecting the pure water 40 on the liquid surface side into the trough portion 56,
It is possible to generate a unidirectional flow along the surface of each wafer 2 from the side surface side of the drying chamber 1 in which the gutter portion 56 is not provided on the liquid surface to the gutter portion 56 side, and a part of each wafer 2 can be generated. Is exposed above the surface of pure water 40,
The liquid surface-side pure water between the adjacent wafers 2 can be drained by the flow in the one direction described above.
It is possible to improve the dischargeability of the pure water in which the IPA is dissolved and the floating foreign matter on the liquid surface in the vicinity or in the vicinity of the liquid surface.

Further, in the wafer drying device 103,
When the liquid surface side pure water is discharged, the trough portion 56 is moved down at a descending speed capable of generating the above-mentioned one-way flow (surface flow) on the liquid surface. As a result, the pure water in which the IPA on the liquid surface of the pure water 40 or near the liquid surface is dissolved, and the floating foreign matter and the like are caused to flow into the trough portion 56 together with the liquid surface-side pure water by the flow in the one direction. Can be discharged.

According to the fourth embodiment, when the wafer 2 immersed in the pure water 40 in the drying chamber 1 is exposed above the liquid surface of the pure water 40, only the pure water from the bottom surface of the drying chamber 1 is exposed. Instead of draining water and pulling up the wafer 2 itself from the pure water 40, the trough portion 6 is moved to the liquid surface of the pure water 40 with the supporting position of the wafer 2 fixed in the pure water 40. By further lowering, the liquid surface-side pure water is drained through the trough portion 6, so that the foreign substances floating in the liquid surface or in the vicinity of the liquid surface can be discharged together with the liquid surface-side pure water. .
Thereby, when the wafer 2 is exposed from the liquid surface, it is possible to prevent the foreign matters and the like from adhering to the surface of the wafer 2.

The exposure of the wafer 2 immersed in the pure water 40 in the drying chamber 1 from the liquid surface is performed by draining the liquid surface side pure water through the trough 6. , The mist of IPA sprayed in the space 4 above the liquid surface is pure water 4
Even when it dissolves in the liquid surface of 0 or in the vicinity of the liquid surface, the pure water in which the IPA has dissolved as the liquid surface-side pure water can be continuously discharged. As a result, in the pure water on or near the liquid surface, I
It is possible to prevent an increase in the amount of PA dissolved, and improve the efficiency of replacing pure water in the water droplets with the mist-like IPA to improve the drying efficiency of the wafer, thereby preventing the occurrence of drying unevenness on the wafer surface. Can be prevented.

Further, when the wafer 2 is exposed from the liquid surface, since the wafer 2 is fixed in position without moving, the liquid surface of the pure water 40 does not sway, and unevenness in drying occurs. Can be eliminated.

Further, when the wafer 2 is exposed from the liquid surface, the unevenness of drying can be eliminated by keeping the descending speed of the liquid surface constant.

(Fifth Embodiment) Next, a wafer drying device 104, which is an example of a substrate drying device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, is different from the trough portion 56 in the wafer drying device 102 of the fourth embodiment. Equipped with a shaped gutter 66,
All other configurations are the same. Hereinafter, only the shape of the gutter portion 66, which is the different portion, will be described. 21 is a vertical sectional view of the wafer drying device 104.

As shown in FIG. 21, the wafer drying device 10
Reference numeral 4 denotes a drainage port on each of the insides of the side surfaces of the wafers 2 supported by the wafer carrier 13 in the drying chamber 1 that face each other in the direction along the surface (ie, inside the left and right side surfaces of the drying chamber 1 in FIG. As an example, a cylindrical trough 66 having a plurality of holes 66a formed on its side surface is provided. The gutter portion 66 has a plurality of hole portions 66a having the same hole diameter arranged in a row at regular intervals on the side surface of the cylinder in the direction along the axis of the cylinder, and each gutter portion 66 has a corresponding hole portion. 66a is provided along each of the side surfaces of the drying chamber 1 so as to face upward. In addition, the respective gutters 66 have the holes 66a located at the upper end thereof at the same height position, and ascend and descend along the respective side surfaces of the drying chamber 1 while keeping the holes 66a substantially horizontal. It is possible. Further, although the wafer drying device 104 is not shown,
Trough drainage mechanism 16 for draining the liquid that has flowed into the inside,
And the gutter part elevating mechanism 14 for moving up and down (or moving in parallel) along the respective side surfaces of the drying chamber 1 while maintaining the substantially horizontal state.

As a result, in the drying chamber 1 filled with pure water 40, the gutter portion 66 whose upper end is at the same height as the upper end of the drying chamber 1 is moved at a constant speed by the gutter lifting mechanism 14. By gradually lowering it,
The holes 66a of the trough portion 66 are located below the liquid surface of the pure water 40, and the pure water 40 on the liquid surface side is filled with the holes 66a.
The liquid that has flowed into the gutter portion 66 via the gutter portion 66 can be drained by the gutter portion drainage mechanism 16.

According to the fifth embodiment, in addition to the effect of the fourth embodiment, the gutter portion 66 can be formed in a cylindrical shape having a plurality of holes 66a formed in the upper side surface. That is, since it can be formed by forming a hole in a cylindrical pipe material or the like, the structure of the gutter portion 66 can be simplified. Further, since the plurality of holes 66a are formed on the side surface of the gutter 66,
The flow rate of the liquid flowing into the gutter portion 66 can be easily adjusted.

Further, each wafer 2 in which the trough portion 66 having a plurality of holes 66a formed therein is supported by the wafer carrier 13
By providing the side surfaces of the drying chamber 1 facing each other in the direction along the surface of the water, when the liquid surface side pure water of the pure water 40 flows into the gutter portion 66, the respective gutter portions are provided from the vicinity of the center of the liquid surface. Flows in two opposite directions along the surface of each wafer 2 can be generated on the liquid surface to 66, and when a part of each wafer 2 is exposed above the liquid surface of the pure water 40, the adjacent wafers 2 are adjacent to each other. The liquid surface side pure water between the respective wafers 2 can be drained by the above-mentioned two opposite flows, and the pure water and floating IPA dissolved in the liquid surface between the respective wafers 2 or near the liquid surface. It is possible to improve the dischargeability of the foreign matter and the like.

(Sixth Embodiment) Next, a wafer drying apparatus 105, which is an example of a substrate drying apparatus according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, has a drying chamber like the wafer drying apparatus 101 of the fourth embodiment. The liquid level pure water 40 of 1 is not provided with the gutter part 6, the gutter part drainage mechanism 16, and the gutter part elevating mechanism 14 for draining the liquid surface side pure water by the different method. The liquid is drained, and the other configurations are the same. Hereinafter, only the different portion will be described. 22 is a vertical sectional view of the wafer drying device 105.

As shown in FIG. 22, the wafer drying device 10
5, a plurality of holes 71a are formed on the side surface of the drying chamber 71 in the direction along the surface of each wafer 2 supported by the wafer carrier 13. The hole 71a
Are, for example, formed in a row on the side surface of the drying chamber 71 in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction at regular intervals, that is, in the vertical and horizontal directions in a grid pattern. In addition, it is preferable that all the hole portions 71a are formed with the same hole diameter. Each hole 71a is formed to a height position below the lower end of each wafer 2 supported by the wafer carrier 13 from the vicinity of the upper end of the drying chamber 71.

Outside the respective side surfaces where the holes 71a of the drying chamber 71 are formed, a rectangular plate shape is formed which covers the respective hole portions 71 on the respective side surfaces and which can be moved up and down along the side surfaces. A shutter 72 is provided. Further, the respective shutters 72 have the same shape, and the above-mentioned raising / lowering operation can be performed while the height positions of the upper ends of the shutters 72 are kept substantially horizontal.

Although not shown in FIG. 22, each shutter 72 is at a height position where it can cover all the holes 71a, that is, the upper end of each shutter 72 is higher than the hole 71a located at the uppermost position. From the position to the position where all the holes 71a are opened without being covered by the shutter 72, that is, from the position where the upper end of each shutter 72 is lower than the hole 71a located at the lowest position, the respective shutters A shutter elevating mechanism 73 for elevating and lowering 72 along the respective outer side surfaces of the drying chamber 1 is provided.

On the side surfaces of the drying chamber 71 where the holes 71a are formed, when the pure water 40 in the drying chamber 71 is discharged to the outside of the drying chamber 71 through the holes 71a, the above-mentioned drainage is performed. In order to prevent the liquefied liquid from splashing in the processing chamber 12, a pad plate portion 74 formed by a plate-shaped member so as to have a reverse L-shaped cross-sectional shape is installed.

In the wafer drying apparatus 105 having such a configuration, the pure water 4 filled in the drying chamber 71 is full.
A method of exposing each wafer 2 immersed in 0 from the liquid surface of pure water 40 will be described.

First, in the drying chamber 71, the pure water 40 is filled with the shutters 72 so that all the holes 71a are covered. From this state, the shutter elevating mechanism 73 starts the descending operation of each shutter 72. The shutters 72 are gently lowered at a constant speed, and the tips of the shutters 72 are dried.
When it is lowered below the upper ends of the uppermost holes 71a on the side surface of the above, the liquid surface side pure water 40 of the pure water 40 is discharged to the outside of the drying chamber 71 through the uppermost holes 71a. The drained liquid hits the inside of each pad plate 74 and drops along the inside of each pad to the bottom surface in the processing chamber 12, and is drained by the drainage passage 44 through the drainage port 18 of the processing chamber 12. To be done. The lowering speed of the shutter 72 is the same as the lowering speed of the gutter portion 6 in the fourth embodiment.

As the shutters 71 descend, pure water 4
The liquid surface side pure water of 0 is discharged from the hole 71a, the liquid surface of the pure water 40 is gently lowered, and each wafer 2 is exposed on the liquid surface. When the upper ends of the shutters 71 are located below the lower ends of all the wafers 2, the shutter lifting mechanism 7
The lowering of each shutter 72 by 3 is stopped.

According to the sixth embodiment, instead of the case where the wafer drying apparatus 101 of the fourth embodiment is provided with the gutter part 6, the gutter part drainage mechanism 16, and the gutter part elevating mechanism 14. In the wafer drying device 105, a plurality of holes 71a formed in the side surface of the drying chamber 71, a shutter 72 that can cover the plurality of holes 71a and can be moved up and down along the side surface, and the shutter 72
Even when a shutter elevating mechanism 73 for elevating and lowering the shutter 71 is provided, by lowering the shutter 71, the hole portions 71a covered by the shutter 71 are sequentially opened, and the hole portions are opened. The liquid surface side pure water of the pure water 40 can be discharged to the outside of the drying chamber 71 through 71a, and the same effect as the effect of the fourth embodiment can be obtained.

Further, since the plurality of holes 71a are formed on the side surfaces of the drying chamber 71 facing each other in the direction along the surface of each wafer 2 supported by the wafer carrier 13, the liquid of the pure water 40 is formed. When the surface-side pure water is drained through the hole 71a, two opposite flows along the surface of each wafer 2 can be generated on the liquid surface from the vicinity of the center of the liquid surface to the respective side surfaces. When a part of the wafer 2 is exposed above the liquid surface of the pure water 40, the liquid surface-side pure water between the adjacent wafers 2 can be discharged by the above-mentioned two opposite flows. Therefore, it is possible to improve the dischargeability of the pure water in which the IPA is dissolved and the floating foreign matters on the liquid surface between the respective wafers 2 or in the vicinity of the liquid surface.

(Seventh Embodiment) Next, a wafer drying device 106, which is an example of a substrate drying device according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention, is similar to the wafer drying device 101 of the above-described fourth embodiment in the drying chamber 1. The drainage of the pure water 40 on the liquid surface side of the pure water 40 is not caused by the gutter drainage mechanism 16 to drain the liquid that has flowed into the gutter 6 by the descent of the gutter 6 by the gutter lift mechanism 14. The liquid surface side pure water is discharged by a different method, and the other configurations are the same. Hereinafter, only the different portion will be described. 23 is a vertical sectional view of the wafer drying device 106.

As shown in FIG. 23, the wafer drying device 10
6, a plurality of drain pipes 86 having suction ports 86a are provided near the inside of the side surface of the drying chamber 1 in the direction along the surface of each wafer 2 supported by the wafer carrier 13. The drainage pipes 86 have the suction ports 86a arranged in a row along the respective side faces at regular intervals. Further, each drainage pipe 86 can be moved up and down along each side surface of the drying chamber 1 in a state where the height position of each suction port 86a is kept substantially horizontal.

Although not shown, the wafer drying device 10
In FIG. 6, the elevating mechanism for performing the elevating operation of each drainage pipe 86 is the gutter part elevating mechanism 14 in the fourth embodiment.
It is equipped with the same structure as the above, and each suction port 86
The drainage mechanism for draining the liquid sucked from a through the drainage pipe 86 is the trough drainage mechanism 1 in the fourth embodiment.
It has the same structure as that of No. 6.

The elevating operation of the respective drainage pipes 86 by the elevating mechanism is such that the respective suction ports 86a are higher than the lower end of each wafer 2 supported by the wafer carrier 13 from the height position near the upper end of the drying chamber 1. It is performed between the lower height positions.

As a result, in the drying chamber 1 in which the pure water 40 is full, the drainage pipes 86 with the suction port 86a in the height position near the upper end of the drying chamber 1 are fixed by the elevating mechanism. The liquid level of the pure water 40 is lowered by gradually lowering the liquid at the speed of the above, sucking the liquid in the vicinity of each suction port 86a by the drainage mechanism, and performing the drainage operation via each drain pipe 86. The side pure water can be drained through each suction port 86a. Furthermore, while performing the above-described drainage operation, by lowering each drainage pipe 86 at a constant speed, the liquid level of pure water 40 can also be lowered at a constant speed, and the liquid level of each wafer 2 can be lowered. Exposure to the top can be done.

According to the seventh embodiment, the liquid surface side pure water that has flowed into the trough section 6 through the trough section 6 as in the wafer drying apparatus 101 in the fourth embodiment is drained into the trough section. Even if the mechanism 16 is not used for draining, the liquid level pure water is drained directly from the suction port 86a of the drain pipe 86 without using the gutter 6. It is possible to obtain the same effect as that of the fourth embodiment.

Since a plurality of drainage pipes 86 are provided on the side surfaces of the drying chamber 1 facing each other in the direction along the surface of each wafer 2 supported by the wafer carrier 13, the liquid of the pure water 40 is discharged. When the surface-side pure water is drained into the drain pipe 86 through the suction port 86a, two opposite flow directions along the surface of each wafer 2 are applied to the respective suction ports 86 from the vicinity of the center of the liquid surface. Can be generated for each wafer 2
When a part of the liquid surface is exposed above the liquid surface of the pure water 40, the liquid surface-side pure water between the adjacent wafers 2 is contradictory to the above 2
The liquid can be drained by a directional flow, and the drainage of pure water in which the IPA is dissolved or the floating foreign matter on the liquid surface between the respective wafers 2 or in the vicinity of the liquid surface can be improved.

By properly combining the arbitrary embodiments of the aforementioned various embodiments, the effects possessed by them can be produced.

[0197]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the substrate immersed in pure water in the drying chamber is exposed above the liquid level of the pure water, only the bottom of the drying chamber is exposed. Not by either draining the pure water or pulling up the substrate itself from the pure water, while raising the pure water in which the substrate is immersed together with the substrate, the liquid level in the pure water or By discharging the liquid-side pure water from the vicinity of the liquid surface, the substrate can be exposed from the liquid surface. Accordingly, when the substrate is exposed from the liquid surface, it is possible to provide a substrate drying method capable of preventing adhesion of foreign matter or the like floating on the liquid surface or near the liquid surface to the surface of the substrate. It becomes possible to do.

Since the exposure of the substrate immersed in the pure water in the drying chamber from the liquid surface is performed while draining the liquid surface side pure water, the space above the liquid surface is exposed. Even when the supplied gaseous or droplet isopropyl alcohol is dissolved in the liquid surface of the pure water or in the vicinity of the liquid surface, the pure water in which the isopropyl alcohol is dissolved as the liquid surface-side pure water Can be continuously drained. As a result, it is possible to prevent an increase in the amount of isopropyl alcohol dissolved in the pure water on the liquid surface or in the vicinity of the liquid surface, and to replace the pure water with the gaseous or droplet isopropyl alcohol. It is possible to provide a substrate drying method capable of improving the drying efficiency of the substrate and preventing unevenness in drying on the substrate surface by improving the above.

Further, since the pure water in which the substrate is immersed is raised together with the substrate to drain the pure water on the liquid surface side, the pure water in the pure water dissolves in the pure water. However, it is possible to prevent the generation of a flow (that is, a turbulent flow such as a vortex) that diffuses the isopropyl alcohol and the floating foreign substances. Therefore, when the substrate is exposed, the liquid surface side pure water can be drained while preventing the flow of diffusing the foreign matters and the like, and the liquid surface side pure water can be discharged at or near the liquid surface. It is possible to provide a substrate drying method capable of improving the dischargeability of the pure water in which the isopropyl alcohol is dissolved and floating foreign substances.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, by lowering the drying chamber, the pure water in which the substrate is immersed together with the substrate is raised relatively to the drying chamber. However, the liquid surface side pure water can be discharged from the liquid surface of the pure water or the vicinity of the liquid surface while performing the relative rise, and the same effect as the effect of the first aspect can be obtained. It will be possible.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the pure water in the drying chamber is drained, the pure water in which the substrate is immersed is raised together with the substrate to remove the pure water. In order to drain the liquid surface side pure water, for example, as compared with the case where the liquid surface side pure water is drained by lowering a drainage device such as a gutter provided in the drying chamber. During the drainage, the position of the liquid surface of the pure water and the position of the space above the liquid surface to which air or an inert gas and gaseous or droplet isopropyl alcohol are supplied are set. It can be fixed to each other. Thereby, from the start of the exposure of the substrate to the liquid surface to the completion of the exposure (that is, from the start to the end of the drying process of the substrate), the gas state or the droplet state is stably maintained in the space and on the liquid surface. Isopropyl alcohol can be supplied, and it is possible to stabilize the replacement efficiency between the pure water adhering to the surface of the substrate during the exposure of the substrate and the gaseous or droplet isopropyl alcohol. It is possible to provide a substrate drying method capable of preventing the occurrence of drying unevenness on the substrate surface.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the plurality of substrates are arranged so that their respective surfaces are substantially parallel to each other and substantially orthogonal to the liquid surface of the pure water, and the substrates are immersed in the pure water. Then, the liquid side deionized water is discharged along the liquid surface and along the surface of the substrate, so that a part of each substrate is exposed above the liquid surface of the pure water. In this case, the drainage of the liquid surface-side pure water between the adjacent substrates can be improved, and the liquid surface-side pure water is exposed when the substrates are exposed from the liquid surface. It is possible to provide a substrate drying method capable of improving the drainage property of the isopropyl alcohol and the foreign substances dissolved in the above.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the pure water on the liquid surface side is drained, the pure water is drained more than near the bottom of the drying chamber. As a result, the time required for draining the pure water while draining the liquid surface side pure water can be shortened. Therefore, in addition to the respective effects of the first to fourth aspects, It is possible to provide a substrate drying method capable of efficiently drying a substrate.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when the liquid surface-side pure water is drained, the pure water is further supplied from near the bottom surface of the drying chamber to float in the pure water. The foreign matter or the like that is being discharged can be positively pushed up to the liquid surface side by the newly supplied pure water, and can be discharged more quickly and smoothly together with the liquid surface side pure water. It is possible to provide a substrate drying method capable of preventing the adherence of the substrate to the surface.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, by using nitrogen gas as the inert gas, it is possible to improve the handleability.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, when the substrate is a wafer or a liquid crystal glass substrate whose surface is required to have cleanliness, etc., the substrate drying capable of obtaining the effects in each of the above aspects can be obtained. It becomes possible to provide a method.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, when the substrate immersed in pure water in the drying chamber is exposed above the liquid surface of the pure water, the pure water only from the bottom surface of the drying chamber is used. Not by draining water or by pulling up the substrate itself from the pure water, but by using the drainage device, the pure water in which the movable floor is raised and the substrate is immersed together with the substrate. The liquid surface side pure water can be discharged from the liquid surface in the pure water or the vicinity of the liquid surface while the liquid is being raised to expose the substrate from the liquid surface. Accordingly, when the substrate is exposed from the liquid surface, it is possible to prevent a foreign substance or the like floating on the liquid surface or near the liquid surface from adhering to the surface of the substrate. It becomes possible to do.

Since the exposure of the substrate immersed in the pure water in the drying chamber from the liquid surface is performed while draining the liquid surface-side pure water, the liquid surface is exposed by the isopropyl alcohol supply device. Even when the gaseous or droplet-shaped isopropyl alcohol supplied into the upper space is dissolved in the liquid surface of the pure water or in the vicinity of the liquid surface, the liquid level pure liquid is generated by the liquid discharging device. It is possible to continuously drain pure water in which the isopropyl alcohol is dissolved as water. As a result, it is possible to prevent an increase in the amount of isopropyl alcohol dissolved in the pure water on the liquid surface or in the vicinity of the liquid surface, and to replace the pure water with the gaseous or droplet isopropyl alcohol. It is possible to provide a substrate drying apparatus capable of improving the efficiency of drying the substrate and preventing the occurrence of unevenness in drying on the surface of the substrate by improving the above.

[0209] Further, since the pure water in which the substrate is immersed together with the substrate is raised by the drainage device to drain the liquid surface side pure water, in the pure water,
It is possible to prevent the generation of a flow (that is, a turbulent flow such as a vortex) that diffuses the isopropyl alcohol dissolved in the pure water and the foreign substances floating in the pure water. Therefore, when the substrate is exposed, the liquid surface side pure water can be drained while preventing the flow of diffusing the foreign matters and the like, and the liquid surface side pure water can be discharged at or near the liquid surface. It is possible to provide a substrate drying apparatus that can improve the dischargeability of pure water in which the isopropyl alcohol is dissolved and floating foreign substances.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the pure water is drained from the drying chamber by raising the pure water in which the substrate is immersed together with the substrate by the drainer. In order to drain the pure water from the liquid surface side of the water, during the drainage, air or an inert gas, and a gas or liquid are used depending on the position of the liquid surface of the pure water and the isopropyl alcohol supply device. The position of the space on the liquid surface to which the isopropyl alcohol is supplied can be fixed to each other. Accordingly, from the start of the exposure of the substrate from the liquid surface to the completion of the exposure (that is, from the start to the end of the drying process of the substrate), the isopropyl alcohol supply device stably stabilizes the inside of the space and the liquid surface. The gaseous or droplet isopropyl alcohol can be supplied, and the pure water attached on the surface of the substrate when the substrate is exposed is replaced with the gaseous or droplet isopropyl alcohol. The efficiency can be stabilized.
Therefore, it is possible to provide a substrate drying apparatus capable of preventing the occurrence of drying unevenness on the substrate surface.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, there is further provided a substrate supporting mechanism provided on the bottom surface of the drying chamber and supporting the substrate, and a bottom elevating device for elevating the bottom surface of the drying chamber. While raising the bottom surface of the drying chamber by the bottom elevation device and raising the pure water in which the substrate is immersed together with the substrate supported by the substrate supporting mechanism, the above-mentioned upper portion of the drying chamber is used. By overflowing the liquid surface-side pure water, the liquid surface-side pure water can be drained, and it is possible to provide a substrate drying apparatus that can obtain the effect of the ninth aspect.

According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the drying chamber, the pure water is divided into an upper pure water tank on the liquid surface side and a lower pure water tank on the bottom surface side of the drying chamber; The movable floor is further provided with a substrate supporting mechanism for supporting the substrate immersed in the pure water in the upper pure water tank and a movable floor elevating device for elevating the movable floor of the drying chamber. The movable floor of the drying chamber is raised by the floor elevating device to raise the division position between the upper pure water tank and the lower pure water tank, and the substrate is immersed together with the substrate supported by the substrate supporting mechanism. While the pure water in the upper pure water tank is being raised, the liquid surface side pure water can be discharged by overflowing the liquid surface side pure water in the upper part of the drying chamber, Possible to provide a substrate drying apparatus capable of obtaining the effect of serial ninth aspect become.

According to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the twelfth aspect, when the movable floor is raised along the inside of the drying chamber by the movable floor elevating device, In order to supply an amount of pure water corresponding to the increase in volume of the lower pure water tank to the lower pure water tank in accordance with this amount of increase, the pure water supply unit is provided between the peripheral portion of the movable floor and the inside of the drying chamber. Even if there is a gap between them that does not contact each other, the pure water in the upper pure water tank is raised by the rise of the movable floor, and only the liquid surface side pure water is discharged. be able to. This eliminates the need to fill (or seal) the gap between the peripheral portion of the movable floor and the inside of the drying chamber, and eliminates foreign matter due to friction that may occur when the gap is filled. It is possible to provide a substrate drying apparatus capable of preventing the generation of foreign matter and preventing the generation of foreign matter in the pure water in the drying chamber.

Further, as the movable bed rises, the movable bed rises, so that the amount of pure water commensurate with the increase in the volume of the lower pure water tank is supplied to the lower pure water tank. It is possible to prevent the flow of pure water from being generated in the gap between the periphery of the movable floor and the inside of the drying chamber. Therefore, in the upper pure water tank in which the substrate is immersed, it is possible to eliminate the generation of turbulent flow such as a vortex due to the inflow of the pure water, and the flow of the pure water on the liquid surface can be achieved. A substrate drying device capable of discharging with high dischargeability the pure water in which the isopropyl alcohol is dissolved and the floating foreign matter on the liquid surface or in the vicinity of the liquid surface between the exposed substrates. It becomes possible to provide.

According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, the liquid moving plate is lowered by the liquid draining mechanism to raise the liquid moving plate relative to the drying chamber, and the substrate is moved together with the substrate. Even when the pure water in which the liquid is immersed is raised relative to the drying chamber to drain the liquid surface side pure water, the same effect as the ninth aspect is obtained. It is possible to obtain the effect.

According to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, by using nitrogen gas as the inert gas, it is possible to improve the handling property.

According to the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, the plurality of substrates are arranged so that their respective surfaces are substantially parallel to each other and substantially orthogonal to the liquid surface of the pure water, and the substrates are immersed in the pure water. Then, the liquid side deionized water is discharged along the liquid surface and along the surface of the substrate, so that a part of each substrate is exposed above the liquid surface of the pure water. In this case, the drainage of the liquid surface-side pure water between the adjacent substrates can be improved, and the liquid surface-side pure water is exposed when the substrates are exposed from the liquid surface. It is possible to provide a substrate drying apparatus capable of improving the drainage property of the isopropyl alcohol and the foreign matter dissolved in the above.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a wafer drying device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line FF of the wafer drying apparatus of FIG.

3 is a cross-sectional view of the wafer drying device of FIG. 1 taken along the line GG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a schematic configuration of the wafer drying apparatus of the first embodiment.

5A is an enlarged plan view in the upper part of the drying chamber of the wafer drying apparatus of the first embodiment, and FIG. 5B is a sectional view taken along line HH in the upper part of the drying chamber in FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6A is a plan view and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view of the droplet supply device of the wafer drying apparatus of the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a partial enlarged view of a wafer holder in the wafer drying apparatus of the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view of a wafer drying device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a cross-sectional view of the wafer drying apparatus of FIG. 8 taken along the line I-I.

10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line JJ of the wafer dryer of FIG.

FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional view of a wafer drying device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a vertical sectional view of a wafer drying device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

13 is a cross-sectional view of the wafer drying device of FIG. 12 taken along the line AA.

14 is a cross-sectional view of the wafer drying device of FIG. 12 taken along the line BB.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a schematic configuration of a wafer drying device of the fourth embodiment.

16A is an enlarged plan view of a trough portion of the wafer drying apparatus of the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 16B is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE of the trough portion of FIG. 16A.

FIG. 17 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a wafer drying apparatus according to a modified example of the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of the wafer drying apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 19 is a vertical sectional view of a wafer drying apparatus according to another modification of the fourth embodiment.

20 is a sectional view taken along line DD of the wafer drying apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 21 is a vertical sectional view of a wafer drying device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a wafer drying device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a vertical sectional view of a wafer drying device according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 24 is a schematic explanatory view of a drying chamber of a wafer drying apparatus according to a modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 25 is a schematic explanatory view of a state in which the wafer is being raised in the drying chamber of the wafer drying apparatus according to the modification of the first embodiment, and FIG. 25A is a diagram in which the wafer is still completely in pure water. It is a schematic explanatory view of the state of being immersed in
(B) is a schematic explanatory view of a state in which a part of the wafer is exposed above the liquid surface of pure water.

FIG. 26 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a droplet supply device according to a modification of the droplet supply device in the wafer drying apparatus of the first embodiment.

FIG. 27 is a flowchart showing a schematic configuration of the wafer drying apparatus of the first embodiment when air is used instead of nitrogen gas.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Drying chamber, 1a ... Triangular weir, 2 ... Wafer, 3 ... Droplet supply device, 3a ... Nitrogen gas passage, 3b ... Nitrogen gas ejection passage, 3c ... IPA passage, 3d ... IPA ejection passage, 3
e, 3f ... Injection hole, 4 ... Space, 5 ... Drying nozzle, 6 ... Trough, 6a, 6b ... Triangular weir, 7 ... Manual valve, 8 ... Fifth air operated valve, 9 ... Carrier fixing part, 10 ... Pure Water supply part, 11 ... Lid, 12 ... Processing chamber, 13 ... Wafer carrier, 14 ... Gutter lifting mechanism, 14a ... Ball screw shaft part, 1
4b ... driving part, 14c ... nut part, 14d ... elevating frame, 14e ... guide, 15 ... machine stand, 16 ... trough drainage mechanism, 16a ... suction port, 16b ... drainage pipe, 16c ... drainage pump, 16d ... flexible hose, 17 ... overflow receiving part, 17a ... drainage port, 18 ... drainage port, 19 ... drainage port, 20 ... pressure reducing valve, 21 ... second air operate valve, 22 ... filter, 23 ... IPA pressure feed tank Relief valve, 24 ... Third air operated valve, 25 ... Filter, 26 ... Flow meter, 27 ... Fourth air operated valve, 28 ... Eighth air operated valve, 29 ... Pressure reducing valve, 30 ... First air operated valve, 31 ... Flowmeter, 32 ... Manual valve, 33 ... Flowmeter, 34 ... Seventh air operated valve, 35 ... Sixth air operated valve,
39 ... Filter, 40 ... Pure water, 40a ... Upper pure water tank,
40b ... Lower pure water tank, 41 ... IPA pressure feed tank, 42 ...
IPA, 43 ... Exhaust passage, 44 ... Drainage passage, 45 ... Drainage passage, 46 ... Drainage passage, 47 ... Control device, 56 ... Gutter,
66 ... Gutter part, 66a ... Hole part, 71 ... Drying chamber, 71a ... Hole part, 72 ... Shutter, 73 ... Shutter lifting mechanism, 7
4 ... Patch plate part, 86 ... Drainage pipe, 86a ... Suction port, 10
1, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106 ... Wafer drying device, 201 ... Drying chamber, 201a ... Triangular dam, 210
... Pure water supply unit, 211 ... Lid, 212 ... Processing chamber, 213 ...
Wafer holder, 213a ... Wafer support part, 213b ... Frame, 214 ... Partition plate elevating mechanism, 214a ... Ball screw shaft part, 214b ... Drive part, 214c ... Nut part, 2
14d ... Elevating frame, 214e ... Guide, 215 ... Machine stand, 217 ... Overflow receiving part, 217a ... Drainage port,
218 ... Drainage port, 219 ... Drainage port, 250 ... Partition plate,
251 ... Partition plate, 251a ... Seal, 301 ... Drying chamber, 301a ... Triangular dam, 310 ... Pure water supply part, 311 ...
Lid 312 ... Processing chamber 314 ... Bottom elevating mechanism 314a
... Air cylinder, 314b ... Elevating guide, 315 ... Machine stand, 317 ... Overflow receiving part, 317a ... Drainage port,
318 ... Drainage port, 319 ... Drainage port, 350 ... Bottom part, 35
0a ... seal, 401 ... drying room, 401a ... triangular weir, 4
09 ... Carrier fixing part, 410 ... Pure water supply part, 411 ...
Lid, 412 ... Processing chamber, 414 ... Drying chamber elevating mechanism, 414
a ... Air cylinder, 414b ... Elevating guide, 415 ... Machine stand, 417 ... Overflow receiving part, 417a ... Drainage port,
418 ... Drainage port, 419 ... Drainage port, 450 ... Partition plate,
501, 502, 503 ... Wafer drying device, 603 ... Droplet supply device, 604 ... Supply hole, 605 ... First groove part, 6
06 ... 2nd groove part, 607 ... Nitrogen gas supply passage, 60
8 ... Supply passage, 609 ... IPA supply passage.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) H01L 21/304 H01L 21/304 645B 647 647A 648 648K (72) Inventor Hiroaki Mizunoe Yamatokoriyama City, Nara Prefecture No. 6-2, Imagoufu Town Toho Kasei Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 3L113 AA01 AB10 AC47 AC63 AC67 AC75 BA34 CA10 CA11 CB19 CB40 DA11 DA24

Claims (16)

[Claims] 1. Pure water (4) in a drying chamber (201, 301)
In the substrate drying method of exposing the substrate (2) immersed in 0) from the pure water to dry it, air or an inert gas is introduced into the space (4) on the liquid surface of the pure water in the drying chamber. While supplying gas and isopropyl alcohol in the form of gas or liquid droplets and raising the pure water in which the substrate is immersed together with the substrate, the pure water on the liquid surface side or near the liquid surface of the pure water Liquid is discharged, and the substrate is exposed above the liquid surface from the pure water in the drying chamber, and at the same time, the pure water attached to the exposed surface of the substrate is the gaseous or droplets. Substrate drying method in which the substrate is replaced with the isopropyl alcohol, and then the substrate is dried by evaporating the isopropyl alcohol from the surface of the substrate. 2. The liquid surface side pure water is drained while the position of the liquid surface with respect to the space is fixed.
The method for drying a substrate according to. 3. The liquid surface of the pure water or the vicinity of the liquid surface is lowered while lowering the drying chamber to raise the pure water in which the substrate is immersed together with the substrate relative to the drying chamber. The liquid surface side pure water is drained from the liquid surface side.
The method for drying a substrate according to. 4. The substrate immersed in pure water is a plurality of substrates arranged such that their respective surfaces are substantially parallel to each other and substantially orthogonal to the liquid surface of the pure water. 4. The substrate drying method according to claim 1, wherein the side pure water is drained by a flow along the liquid surface and along the surface of each of the substrates. 5. The pure water is drained from the vicinity of the bottom surface of the drying chamber when the pure water on the liquid surface side is drained from the liquid surface of the pure water or in the vicinity of the liquid surface. The substrate drying method according to any one of 1. 6. The pure water is supplied from near the bottom surface of the drying chamber when the pure water on the liquid surface side is drained from the liquid surface of the pure water or near the liquid surface. The method for drying a substrate according to any one of claims. 7. The substrate drying method according to claim 1, wherein the inert gas is nitrogen gas. 8. The substrate drying method according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is a wafer (2) or a liquid crystal glass substrate. 9. A drying chamber (201, 301) in which the substrate (2) can be immersed in pure water (40), and air or air in a space (4) above the liquid surface of the pure water in the drying chamber. An isopropyl alcohol supply device (3, 603) for supplying an inert gas and isopropyl alcohol in the form of gas or liquid droplets, and a movable floor (250, 250 that is vertically movable in the drying chamber.
A drainage device (214) for draining the pure water on the liquid surface from the liquid surface of the pure water or the vicinity of the liquid surface while raising the pure water in which the substrate is immersed together with the substrate. 314), the movable floor is raised by the drainage device, and the pure water is drained while raising the pure water together with the substrate, and the pure water is discharged in the drying chamber. The substrate is exposed above the liquid surface from water, and the pure water attached to the exposed surface of the substrate is replaced by the gaseous or droplet isopropyl alcohol, and thereafter, A substrate drying apparatus capable of drying the substrate by evaporating the isopropyl alcohol from the surface of the substrate. 10. The substrate drying apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the liquid surface side deionized water is drained by the liquid draining device while the position of the liquid surface with respect to the space is fixed. 11. The movable floor is a bottom surface (35) of the drying chamber.
0), and the drainage device is a bottom elevating device (314) for elevating and lowering the bottom face, and further includes a substrate support mechanism (9) for supporting the substrate, and the bottom elevating device is used for the drying chamber. The liquid surface side pure water is allowed to overflow in the upper part of the drying chamber while the pure water is raised together with the substrate supported by the substrate support mechanism by raising the bottom surface of the substrate. 9. The substrate drying device according to 9 or 10. 12. The movable floor (250) comprises an upper pure water tank (40) for the pure water in the drying chamber on the liquid level side.
a) and the lower pure water tank (40
The drainage device is a movable floor elevating device (214) for elevating and lowering the movable floor, which is provided on the movable floor and is immersed in the pure water in the upper pure water tank. A substrate supporting mechanism (9) for supporting the substrate is further provided, and the movable floor of the drying chamber is raised by the movable floor elevating device to raise a division position between the upper pure water tank and the lower pure water tank. 11. The liquid surface side pure water is overflowed and discharged in the upper part of the drying chamber while raising the pure water in the upper pure water tank together with the substrate supported by a substrate support mechanism. The substrate drying apparatus described. 13. A pure water supply mechanism (210) for supplying pure water to the lower pure water tank of the drying chamber, further comprising raising the movable floor of the drying chamber by the movable floor lifting device to raise the upper pure water. The substrate drying apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the division position between the water tank and the lower pure water tank is raised, and pure water is supplied to the lower pure water tank by the pure water supply mechanism according to the rise of the divided position. 14. A drying chamber (401) in which the substrate (2) can be immersed in pure water (40), and air or an inert gas in a space (4) above the surface of the pure water in the drying chamber. By lowering the isopropyl alcohol supply device (3, 603) for supplying gas and isopropyl alcohol in the form of gas or droplets and the drying chamber, it is possible to move up and down in the drying chamber relative to the drying chamber. The liquid moving plate (450) provided in the substrate is relatively raised to raise the pure water in which the substrate is immersed together with the substrate relative to the drying chamber, while A drainage device (414) for draining pure water on the liquid surface side or near the liquid surface, and lowering the drying chamber by the liquid draining device to move the liquid transfer plate together with the substrate and the pure water. Water to the drying room While relatively raising, the liquid surface side pure water is drained, and the substrate is exposed above the liquid surface from the pure water in the drying chamber, and at the same time, on the exposed surface of the substrate. The pure water adhered is replaced by the gaseous or droplet-shaped isopropyl alcohol,
After that, the substrate drying apparatus that can dry the substrate by evaporating the isopropyl alcohol from the surface of the substrate. 15. The substrate drying apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the inert gas is nitrogen gas. 16. The substrate immersed in the pure water is a plurality of substrates arranged so that their surfaces are substantially parallel to each other and substantially orthogonal to the liquid surface of the pure water. 16. The substrate drying apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the side pure water is drained by a flow along the liquid surface and along the surface of each of the substrates.